


Something New

by starrdust411



Series: Something Entirely New [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Drama, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Parenthood, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-09-22 11:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9605975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrdust411/pseuds/starrdust411
Summary: Navigating their first few months of marriage has been tricky enough for Goku and ChiChi, but when a major change comes their way they find themselves having to adapt quickly. Fortunately Goku's friends are there to help.(An exploration into the early relationship of Goku & ChiChi with a few changes.)





	1. The Simple Life

The creature was taller than ChiChi had expected. Its stature hadn't seemed quite so large and imposing when it had been lurking in the shadows above them, but now as it stood before them with its legs planted firmly on the ground ChiChi could see that it stood several heads higher than the two of them stacked one on top the other. The creature's skin was a dark, dusty gray with tick hair sprouting from its arms and legs in odd patches. There were four legs, and two sets of arms that seemed to split at the elbow like branches on a tree to create a total of four hands. Four pairs of deep black eyes littered its face, as its mandible clicked together in a menacing way. Yet Goku had not so much as blinked at the monster, a clear indication that its strength did not match its imposing form, so ChiChi stood tall and firm as well, not wanting to appear weak in front of Goku.

"Look," ChiChi began in a calm and even tone, "we're not here ta make trouble. Just hand us the ball an' we'll be on our way."

The ball in question was currently grasped in the spider monster's hand, its smooth orange form looking like little more than a marble compared to the looming beast. Black eyes flashed with what looked like annoyance as the Spider looked down at the ball in its hand before looking to them. "How smug of you," it seethed, the words causing a thick gooey substance to seep from its mouth and down its chin. "You tiny creatures step into my layer, the scared layer of my kind, and dare to give _me_ orders?

ChiChi took a breath and steadied his nerves. He could see now that a fight was unavoidable and if Goku weren't standing a few paces behind him ChiChi would have been content on leaving well enough alone. Yet Goku wanted that ball, had talked about the four star Dragon Ball, Si Xing Qiu as she called it, quite often since their marriage and ChiChi wanted to give it to her as a late wedding present of sorts. 

Even months after they had tied the knot, Goku still seemed to be a bit lost on just what marriage seemed to entail and ChiChi was starting to grow a bit desperate to find some way to remedy this. He told Goku how much she meant to him as often as he could, and would show his fondness with kisses and tender touches whenever the opportunity presented itself, but his words of endearment were rarely reciprocated and physical affection seemed to confuse Goku at the best of times. Yet ChiChi was determined to keep trying and this Dragon Ball hunt/training exercise seemed to be the best way to connect with his wife.

"I... I don't wanna hurt ya," ChiChi said, cringing at the hesitance in his voice and hoping silently that Goku hadn't caught it. "We can settle this peacefully."

"I'd rather rip your smug limbs from your feeble torso," the Spider declared as it lunged forward.

ChiChi was quick to duck down and roll out of its path. He got to his feet quickly, just as the Spider made to swipe in his direction. ChiChi was able to block the blow with some effort, before bating the creature away.

"You can do it ChiChi!" Goku called out from somewhere behind the monster. "Don't let your guard down!"

A sudden burst of energy spread through him at the sound of Goku cheering him on and suddenly ChiChi felt he could take on an entire army. This time he did not wait for the next attack as he took to the air, leaping high enough to deliver a powerful kick to the creature's face. The Spider stumbled backwards and ChiChi was quick to follow up with a blow to its chest. 

"Annoying little gnat!" The Spider sneered as it steadied itself on its surprisingly sturdy spindly legs. 

"You got 'im on the defense, now take advantage!" Goku instructed from the side lines. "Sweep the legs!"

_Easier said than done,_ he thought wearily, as he glanced at the eight arms and legs. Yet he pushed any sense of doubt aside as he once again jumped, this time leaping up and over the monster's head, narrowly managing to avoid its grasp, in order to land just behind. The monster was slower than he had first thought, and fortunately for ChiChi, was not able to turn fast enough to stop him from coming behind and kicking out two of its back legs. It stumbled just enough for ChiChi to be able to charge towards it and deliver the final blow.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the creature collapsed in a heap, grasping and groaning before eventually falling silent.

"You did good, ChiChi," Goku said as she gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "I told ya trainin' would be fun!"

The strangled laugh that came from his mouth was painful to hear. It was only now that the fight was over that he realized how hard he had been breathing and how much sweat was currently clinging to his clothes and hair. His face felt warm with shame as his wife walked over to his fallen foe's prone form. He had no doubt in his mind that Goku could have beaten that monster in one move, yet he felt ready to collapse from his own efforts.

_No shame in it,_ he told himself firmly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. _She's the strongest under the sun, after all._ It was something he told himself often, yet at times like this it was hard not to feel a bit sheepish. He loved Goku's strength and talents, but there were times he wished he could be more and do more for someone so strong and capable. 

"Is it the right one?" ChiChi asked in order to cover his own embarrassment. "Is it yer Grampa's ball?"

He watched as Goku crouched down beside the Spider's prone figure with a slight knot in his belly at the thought of the monster suddenly jerking to life and grabbing at his wife. Yet the moment never came as Goku was easily able to pick up the fallen Dragon Ball from the ground and leisurely counted the red stars set in the center. 

"Yup, it's Si Xing Qiu all right!" Goku cheered as she turned the ball in her hand in order to show off its four stars. "We sure got lucky!"

"Yeah," ChiChi grinned. "We sure did."

*

It only took a matter of minutes for Kinto'un to take them back to Mount Paozu, yet ChiChi was still dismayed to see that the sun had already begun to sink from the sky. The days were growing much shorter now and time was not on his side. He sighed as he leapt from the back of the cloud and down to the ground. "I hafta get back ta workin' the field," ChiChi announced wearily as Goku hopped down beside him. "Half the day's already gone."

Goku looked up at the sky, a puzzled look on her face. "It's not that late," Goku concluded. "It couldn't be more than two or three in the afternoon."

"I know, but soon it'll be sunset, then evenin’, an' then dark!" he sighed and shook his head. "I shoulda started workin' the field straight away."

Goku chuckled at his miserable expression as she gave his shoulder a quick pat. "ChiChi, you're too serious sometimes!" she laughed as she clutched the Dragon Ball tightly in her hand. "'Sides, the day wasn't wasted! We got some trainin' done an' we found Grampa's Dragon Ball! We did plenty today an' all before lunch." She took a moment to consider this and ChiChi swore he heard the sounds of her stomach rumbling with hunger. "I should get lunch started. You want some?"

ChiChi laughed as he leaned down to kiss Goku's cheek and was pleased when she didn't flinch or pull away as she sometimes still did. "I suppose I could grab a quick bite before I get ta work."

They went inside the small house ChiChi and his father had built soon after the wedding and set to work assembling their late lunch. Goku assembled the pots and fetched water to boil the rice as ChiChi prepared the fish Goku had caught the day before. As a child, ChiChi had always thought his wife would be the one to prepare all of his meals, but the task of cooking side by side with Goku was slowly becoming less strange as time went on.

Soon after they had gotten married ChiChi had helped Goku learn how to cook and clean, but while she knew the tasks well enough to get by it became clear early on that household chores didn't hold her interest and spending the day cooped up inside doing them made Goku miserable. ChiChi had decided that the only fair thing to do was to split the housework between them so he could work the fields in the morning and Goku could train to her heart's content in the evening. Yet their schedules didn't always work out very neatly and at times the odd chore would fall by the wayside or the two would debate over whose turn it was to do what task, but ChiChi reasoned there was still plenty of time to work out the small details.

When the food was finished, ChiChi was quick to pack his share in a small bento box before heading towards the door. "I'll take this for a snack an' eat later," he said as he gave Goku's cheek another peck only to find her lips twisting in disappointment. 

"ChiChi you work too hard," she chided as she grabbed her own dish and prepared to sit down and eat her meal. 

"A man has ta work hard ta provide for his family, Goku-sa'," he told her as he often did. "You'll appreciate all my hard work when I'm able ta give ya the finer things in life."

"Aw, I don't need nothin'," Goku said as she pulled out the Dragon Ball she had tucked into the folds of her clothes and set it down on the kitchen table. "Now that I've got Grampa's ball, I've got everythin’ I need."

*

ChiChi took a moment to groan into his pillow at the sound of the alarm's chime before reaching out from beneath the folds of blanket to silence it. The pillow was soft against his cheek and the blankets still felt so warm and inviting that the idea of drifting back to sleep for another hour or two gnawed at him briefly, yet ChiChi pushed the temptation aside as he raised himself up on his elbows in order to greet the day.

The sun had just begun to rise and the early morning light was still an hour away, but still he slipped out from beneath the sheets and made his way to the kitchen in order to prepare their morning meal. 

ChiChi opened the kitchen window in order to let the fresh air in before grabbing a pot from one of the lower cupboards and filling it with water. Leftovers were a rarity in their household and meals often had to be made fresh every day. It was tiresome, but necessary given Goku's massive appetite and a large part of him was extremely grateful that he didn't have to do all the cooking himself. 

He was half way through setting the tea to boil before he realized that Goku had yet to awaken. ChiChi frowned and glanced back towards the bedroom door. He and his wife usually got up together, Goku in order to prepare for a pre-breakfast work out while ChiChi prepared their food before he made his way to the field, yet as he strained his ears he could only hear the sound of Goku still softly snoring away in their bedroom.

_I suppose sleepin' in once in a while is fine,_ ChiChi reasoned as he chopped the vegetables in order to finish their soup. He was able to finish preparing their meal and packing a small bento for his lunch by the time the sun had risen, yet Goku had not so much as stirred.

ChiChi crept back into their bedroom only to find the curtains still drawn and Goku curled up in bed. He tiptoed over to her bedside and pressed a hand to her shoulder. He could hear Goku's breaths coming out steady and even, a clear sign that she was still deep asleep.

_It's not like Goku to sleep this late,_ ChiChi thought as he gently brushed Goku's bangs aside in order to touch her forehead. She didn't feel particularly warm, yet Goku didn't seem to show any signs of waking. 

"Goku-sa', I've made breakfast," ChiChi whispered into her ear. "It's still on the stove. I'll be back in a few hours."

Goku groaned softly in response and ChiChi reasoned that was all he would be getting out of her as he placed a quick kiss to his wife’s forehead and left for the day.

*

By the time the sun had set, ChiChi felt content in knowing that he had worked up a decent sweat and made his muscles pleasantly sore. The shorter days were a clear sign of the changing seasons and ChiChi felt certain that the fall harvest was only days away. The radishes and turnips were coming along nicely and his pumpkins seemed more than promising considering that this would be his first real attempt at farming. 

Growing up, ChiChi had always imagined himself inheriting his father's title and ruling over Mount Fry-Pan alongside his wife and their family, yet Goku had changed all that when she entered his world. From the moment she had grabbed his hand and pulled him onto her magical cloud, making her his wife had become his one and only goal in life, one that he would sacrifice anything to obtain. He had spent six long years training his body to its limit as he waited for Goku's return in order to make himself a strong warrior to protect her honor. Yet when she had failed to come back for him, he had set out to find his bride himself. 

His defeat at her hand should have been humiliating, yet when he witnessed the depths of her power during her fight with Piccolo Daimao, ChiChi knew there was no shame in losing to someone who was leagues above from him. Yet her strength only created more challenges as he searched for a way to become a man worthy of her. He had thought that showering her with the rich life that being the only son of Gyumao afforded would please her, but Goku had made her distaste of living in a palace clear before they could even take his mother's wedding dress out of storage.

"I ain't made for fancy livin'," Goku had told him bluntly. "I'd be much happier livin' out in the mountains like I did with my Grampa."

So ChiChi had decided to give Goku that simple life that she desired and spent the rest of the summer building their home and clearing some of the land in Mount Paozu in order to start his farm. He reasoned farming would be the best way to provide for his family out in the mountains and armed with only the tools his father had bought him and the helpful advice from some of the elders in the next mountain over he felt he had adapted fairly well.

ChiChi packed up his tools and made his way back home, his dirt covered skin and sore muscles yearning for a long soak. As he approached the house he was disheartened to find that he could not smell fire burning in the stove or smell their dinner roasting in the oven. The clothes line was also bare and the firewood still hadn't been chopped. Worry started to fill him as he quickened his steps. This wasn't like Goku at all. As much as she hated to do chores, she never put them off this long. 

"Goku-sa?" he called out as he pushed the front door open with a bit too much force. Sure enough the kitchen was empty and the dishes from the morning's breakfast were still stacked in the sink. Panic filled him as he headed straight for their bedroom only to find that Goku wasn't there. The pillows and quilt were gone as well, yet the mattress was not stripped bare for cleaning. 

ChiChi rushed into the living room and nearly passed Goku by, her figure almost complete obscured beneath the nest of blankets that she had created for herself. "Goku?" ChiChi breathed as he kneeled down next to her. He could see that Goku was awake, yet her eyes looked unfocused as a miserable expression twisted her features. He frowned and pressed a hand to her cheek and found she felt a bit clammy. "Goku-sa' are ya alright? Ya don't look so good."

"I don't feel good," Goku agreed miserably as she reluctantly leaned into ChiChi's touch. 

ChiChi frowned and pressed his free hand to his own forehead just to confirm that Goku's temperature felt relatively normal. Yet the miserable look on his wife's face was unmistakable and ChiChi had to wonder how this illness had come along so quickly. "Ya don't seem ta have a fever," ChiChi said thoughtfully. "An' we've been eatin' all the same stuff, so it can't be food poisonin’'."

Goku grimaced and curled into herself at ChiChi's words. "Ugh, my tummy feels all messed up,” she muttered miserably. “I don't even wanna think about food."

The air seemed to rush out of his lungs in an instant at his wife's statement and if there were any doubt in his mind that Goku was sick before it had instantly curled up and died. "Goku!" ChiChi practically shrieked as he scooped his wife into his arms. "We have ta get ya to a doctor right away!"

Despite her seemingly weakened state, Goku still managed to easily wiggle her way out of ChiChi's grasp. "I don't wanna go see a doctor," she groused as she grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the ground and wrapped it around her shoulders once again. "I don't feel that bad."

"Goku-sa, ya just said ya don't wanna eat," ChiChi sighed. "Have ya even had a single bite ta eat all day?"

Somehow Goku managed to look both stubborn and sheepish all at once as she adjusted the thick blanket around her shoulders and slumped into the folds of the material. It was at moments like this that ChiChi found his wife's childish behavior more frustrating than endearing, yet even still he couldn't help but appreciate the adorable way she pouted as she spoke. "I ate... some."

"An' when was the last time ya ate?"

Again Goku shifted and tugged at her quilt as she considered her next words. "Lunch... I guess."

"That ain't like ya at all," he tsked. ChiChi sighed and as he gently placed his arm around Goku's waist and steered her back towards their bedroom in the rear of the house. "Yer sick, that's for sure. Let's get ya back ta bed an' I'll fix ya some soup before we call a doctor."

"I'm tellin' ya, ChiChi, I don't need a doctor," Goku insisted even as she allowed herself to be lead back to their bedroom and ChiChi could tell right away this was going to be an uphill battle. "I'm just... tired."

ChiChi shook his head and straightened out their sheets, fluffing up the pillows and spreading the blankets out neatly across the mattress before allowing Goku to lay back down. "Ya say that now, but what if ya feel even worse tomorrow? Ya won't be able ta get any trainin' done if yer stuck in bed sleepin' all day an' all night."

Goku gave a thoughtful little hum as she seemed to consider this. Apparently the idea of falling behind in her training was enough to at least get her to consider the idea of calling someone. "Ya know, Bulma's daddy is a doctor," Goku said as she settled down beneath the sheets. "An' Bulma's pretty smart. Maybe she's a doctor, too." 

He didn't know much about Goku's strange friends, but he remembered that Bulma was the blue haired girl who had been with Goku when they met as children and she had also been one of the spectators at the tournament last summer. He couldn't think of anything she may have said or done that could indicate how smart she was, but he did remember that she appeared to be only a few years old than they were and couldn't imagine her having much medical experience. Yet if her father was a doctor, then that would certainly be a good start. 

"Well if that's the only way you'll see a doctor I suppose I can give her a call," ChiChi relented. "Do ya remember her number?"

Already sleep was beginning to pull at Goku as she barely managed to give a halfhearted shake of her read in response. "Dunno," she mumbled into the pillow. "But she lives in the city."

"Which city?" ChiChi whispered as he stroked his wife's wild hair.

"West."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea I've been mulling over for a few years now. I've always wanted to explore the early stages of Goku and ChiChi's relationship with their sexes/genders/roles reversed. My original idea was to do their wedding, but somehow Gohan's birth was easier to tackle. Just to be clear, in this universe, Goku is female, ChiChi is male and the other Dragon Ball characters are their canon genders/sexes.


	2. Diagnosis

Bulma grimaced at the sound of the phone ringing on the other end of the laboratory. She knew exactly who it was. It was Yamucha. There was no doubt in her mind he was trying to call her and give some lame excuse of an apology, but she would hear none of it. No, she was in too foul a mood to put up with Yamucha's excuses today and she made her distaste known by continuing to type away at the keyboard, punching the keys furiously in order to drown out the ringing with the sound of the buttons clicking.

The ringing continued, but she ignored it. Eventually Yamucha would give up or the machine would answer. Either way she wasn't planning to leave her seat. 

More ringing filled the air and Bulma began to wonder if someone had forgotten to turn the answering machine on again.

Eventually the ringing stopped, and Bulma felt the tension in her shoulder ease up ever so slightly as disappointment settled in her stomach. _He didn't even bother to leave a message?_ she thought bitterly. _That jerk._

Just as the thought popped in and out of her mind, the phone began to ring all over again and this time Bulma voiced her frustration with a pitched groan. "Can somebody get that!" she shouted at no one in particular."

The sound of a desk chair's wheels rolling across the linoleum floor reached her ears just as slipper clad feet shuffled across the floor. "Are you expecting a call?" her father asked as he very leisurely made his way over to the phone mounted on the far wall by the facility’s main door. 

"No," Bulma said tersely, still pointedly refusing to remove her eyes from the glowing screen in front of her. "But whoever it is, tell them I'm _not_ here!"

Her farther hummed as he grabbed the phone off the cradle and answered with a friendly greeting of "Good afternoon, you've reached the Capsule Corporation," before falling into a pointed silence. "No, I'm afraid Bulma says she’s not in. Can I take a message?"

Bulma didn't bother to suppress the groan that had welled up in her throat. Of course she couldn't count on her father to do something as simple as cover for her. As brilliant as the man could be, he had always been impossibly dense when it came to everyday matters. Bulma sighed and shook her head, reasoning that she should be happy that she was still avoiding an awkward conversation even if her father had found a way to embarrass her yet again, and decided to shift her attention back to the program she had been working on.

"Yes, this is her father," she distantly heard her dad go on and suddenly Bulma realized that it probably wasn't Yamucha on the other line. She decided to tune one ear into the conversation even as her eyes stayed locked on her computer screen. "Well, actually I'm not that sort of doctor, but who may I say is calling?" Her father grew silent for half a moment before a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "ChiChi? That's an odd name for a young man."

She spun around in her seat as the familiar name reached her ears. "ChiChi?" Bulma repeated as she stood quickly, the movement causing her desk chair to spin and nearly tip over. "Son-kun's husband, ChiChi?" Bulma asked as she walked briskly across the room in order to yank the phone out of her dad’s hand. "Hello, this is Bulma."

"I think he wanted to speak with me, Bulma," her father muttered sullenly even as he plucked the burnt down cigarette from between his lips and exchanged it for a fresh one.

"Uh, Bulma-sa’?" ChiChi's voice began awkwardly from the other end of the phone. He sounded a bit distorted as the line crackled and seemed to struggle to hold the connection. Bulma reasoned that it was just a result of ChiChi calling from way out in the middle of nowhere. "Um, this is ChiChi."

"I know," she said with a wave of her hand. "I heard you speaking with my dad. I... uh, just got in."

"Oh," ChiChi said, seemingly accepting the lie without much thought, "Oh okay. Well, I was havin' the devil of a time reachin' ya. Yer a hard woman ta track down, all things considered."

"Really?" Bulma frowned. Her nose twisted as her father decided to light up his cigarette inches away from her and made something of a show at taking his first puff. She grimaced and did her best to shoe him off. With a reluctant shrug he made his way back to his own work station on the other end of the lab, allowing Bulma to speak more freely. "I coulda sworn I gave Son-kun my phone number at the Budokai."

"Well, she lost it I suppose," ChiChi chuckled. "I had ta call up my Pa, who had ta call Kame Sennin who had ta ask that young lady Lunch for it. Took me near a week ta get a hold of ya!"

Worry began to build in the pit of her stomach as Bulma tightened her grip on the phone. "You've been trying to reach me for a week?" she began slowly. "Is there something wrong? Is Son-kun okay?"

The line was silent for half a moment and Bulma began to worry that the call had dropped, but eventually ChiChi's voice came through as he started stammering nervously. "Well, ya see, Goku's been under the weather for a few days now."

"Son-kun's sick?" she gasped, her stomach clenching at the very thought. She had known Goku on and off for over six years and in all that time she couldn't recall the girl having as much as a sniffle. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "She just woke up one day an' was all outta sorts. She's just been lyin' in bed sleepin' an’ feelin' miserable. It’s awful! She’s barely eaten anythin’ at all in days.”

“ _What_?” Bulma nearly shrieked, the pitch of her voice causing her father to raise his head and gaze in her direction. Yet Bulma couldn’t find it in herself to care given the news she had just heard. “Son-kun’s not eating? Why haven’t you taken her to a hospital?”

“I’ve tried, Bulma-sa’, but Goku doesn’t want ta see a doctor. She only wants ta see ya.”

“Me? Why me?”

“I dunno,” ChiChi sighed wearily, “but she thinks yer the only one who can help. ‘Bulma’s real smart, she’ll know what to do,’ is what she keeps sayin’.”

Bulma chuckled in spite of the panic still churning through her being. “Well, she’s right about one thing, I am brilliant, but I’m not a doctor. At least not that kind of doctor. My degree is in…” She stopped herself, recalling the glazed over look most people tended to get whenever Bulma told them the specific fields she had studied. Instead she said simply, “I work with machines, not people.”

“Oh, I see,” ChiChi said as notes of disappointment colored his every word. “An’ yer father?”

“Wouldn’t be much help either,” she said sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”

ChiChi fell silent once again as the line continued to crackle and struggle to maintain its weak connection. Despite being nearly on the other side of the world, Bulma could practically see the young man taking stock of the situation in order to consider all of his options. “Perhaps, if it’s not too much trouble, ya could come by anyway? Goku’s really in an awful state an’ maybe ya could talk her inta seein’ a doctor.”

“Well, I suppose so,” Bulma agreed at length. After all there wasn’t much keeping her in the city and if Goku was in as poor shape as ChiChi was saying then visiting her friend was the least she could do. “Give me your address and I’ll see if I can fly in tomorrow.”

*

The flight to Mount Paozu from West City was nearly seven hours and Bulma had spent the night before her trip gathering supplies and reading through as many medical books as she could get her hands on. She was hopeful that when she arrived Goku might listen to reason and see a doctor willingly, but Bulma knew that this was likely a fool’s hope. What’s more, given how isolated the East District was it would be hard to imagine there would be a hospital or medicine man nearby that would be able to offer treatment. As a result Bulma had a strong feeling that she would be forced to play the role of doctor today and had made certain that she was as well prepared as possible. 

Her jet touched down on a patch of land a few yards away from the small hut where she had first met Son Goku and Bulma felt her heart pang with nostalgia. They had been just children back then, Goku so wild and naïve and herself a teenager fresh out of university and ready to take on the world. 

So much had changed since then and Mount Paozu was no exception. She was happy to see that the hut Goku had once shared with her late grandfather was still standing, yet it now appeared to be living in the shadow of a small cottage. She smiled as she approached the house, reaching her hand to touch its sturdy white walls. It was clear just from the feel of it that this was a man made home, not a Capsule House, and Bulma was glad to know that Goku had found herself a husband who was nearly her match in simplicity.

Bulma pulled herself out of her daydreams and gave the door a quick knock. It didn’t take too long before the door was pulled open and ChiChi’s face appeared before her. It had been a few months since she had last seen him, but ChiChi still looked very much the same: still strong and handsome and oozing with confidence. Yet instead of determination and love shining in his deep brown eyes, his gaze was colored with worry.

“Thank goodness ya came, Bulma-sa’,” ChiChi greeted, his country accent pointedly polite despite the clear note of concern trying to fight its way into his words. “I hope ya didn’t have much trouble findin’ yer way.”

“It was no trouble,” she said pleasantly as she was ushered inside. The home was cozy and inviting yet somewhat sparsely decorated and Bulma could feel the energy of a young couple still wrapped in the warmth of their honeymoon period radiating from the walls of the simple kitchen. “I’m a fine pilot with a keen sense of direction,” she put in smugly. “Although I was a bit thrown off when I flew over that field a few miles back.”

“Oh, yes, that’s my little farm,” ChiChi said proudly. “I’ve taken up farmin’ ya see. Had ta find a way ta provide for my wife an’ given how much land there was way out here it just seemed a natural fit.”

“Well, that’s very… practical of you,” Bulma said pleasantly. Even after all these months it still felt strange to picture Goku as someone’s wife, especially when her husband was someone like ChiChi who seemed so level headed and… well, normal. _Then again,_ she reasoned to herself, _he was raise by a man who was nearly the size of a house and grew up with a castle surrounded by eternal flames. So I guess he couldn’t be all_ that _normal._

Bulma shifted awkwardly as she looked around the room before turning her gaze back to ChiChi. “Um, so where is Son-kun?”

“Still in bed, I’m afraid,” ChiChi sighed wearily as he gathered up the used dishes that had been resting on the kitchen table and brought them over to the sink. “I managed to get her up for a little while ta eat some lunch, but she went straight back to restin’ afterwards. That’s why the house is in such a state, ya see. Goku an’ I usually split the chores: she’ll do the house work while I work in the field an’ then I’ll fix dinner while she wraps up her exercises. But with her near bed ridden I’ve hardly had anytime ta tend ta my farmin’ or get much anythin’ else done.”

Bulma frowned as she glanced at her surroundings once again. Aside from the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, the kitchen looked down right spotless in her eyes. What’s more the idea of Goku doing something as mundane as housework was a hard thing to wrap her head around. “Well, I’ll go have a talk with her, see if I can get her to listen to reason and see a proper doctor.”

“An’ if ya can’t?” ChiChi asked; his face etched with a sort of dread that nearly drained the color from his skin. 

She sighed and gave a quick pat to the satchel resting against her hip. “If she refuses then I’m ready to do the exam myself.”

The skeptical look that crossed ChiChi’s face didn’t escape Bulma’s notice, but she didn’t bother to comment on it as the young man lead her to the main bedroom in the rear of the house. Walking through the home Bulma could see that it was a bit more spacious than she had originally thought, with a decently sized living room accompanying the modest kitchen and what appeared to be two bedrooms in the back. The cottage was just the right size for a newlywed couple, but she had a feeling that even its simplicity was a bit much for Goku’s rustic tastes.

When they reached the master bedroom, ChiChi gave the wooden door a gentle knock before slowly pushing his way inside. “Goku-sa’,” ChiChi practically whispered as he tiptoed his way into the darkened bedroom. “Yer friend Bulma-sa’ has come ta visit.”

Bulma stepped inside behind ChiChi and was disheartened to find Goku laying curled up in the middle of the bed, the tips of her spiked hair poking out from the beneath the thick bedding the only sign of her presence. She was at her friend’s side in an instant, the weight of the situation seemingly pressing down on her as she crouched by Goku’s bedside. Goku blinked up at her, sluggish brown eyes red rimmed with sleep and even in the dark, Bulma could see that a good deal of color had drained from her usually tanned features. “Oh, Son-kun,” Bulma whispered as she brushed Goku’s bangs away from her forehead in order to feel her skin.

A sleepy smile spread across Goku’s features as she shifted beneath the sheets, slowly lifting herself into a sitting position. “It’s good to see you, Bulma,” she grinned weakly. “It’s sure been a while, huh?”

“And you’re still just as much of a simpleton as ever,” Bulma teased fondly as she reached into her satchel in order to pull out the thermometer she had packed away. “Been sick for a full week and still refusing to see a doctor? You really are hopeless.”

“I don’t like hospitals an’ stuff,” Goku grumbled childishly, as ChiChi rearranged the pillows behind her back in order to allow Goku to sit up comfortably. “Besides, you’re here.”

“Well, I’m not really that kind of doctor,” she sighed. “But I’ll do my best to look you over. Open your mouth.” Goku did as she was directed, opening wide enough for Bulma to slip the end of the thermometer beneath her tongue. “Now close your mouth and hold that under your tongue.” She turned back to ChiChi whose face was growing drawn with worry. “She doesn’t seem to have a temperature, but I want to make certain. What have her symptoms been?”

“My tummy hurts,” Goku barely managed to mumble with the thermometer still held beneath her tongue.

“Son-kun, hush!” Bulma chided before turning her gaze back to ChiChi expectantly.

“Well, it’s like she said, she’s been complainin’ about her stomach all week an’ she’s hardly had any appetite at all,” he explained. “She’s also been getting’ terrible headaches an’ spends most days in bed sleepin’.”

“I see,” Bulma said thoughtfully. The symptoms sounded vaguely like the flu and given the time of year it certainly would make some sense. “Any sore muscles?”

Goku began to speak, but stopped herself when Bulma pinned her with another stern look. Instead she used her hands and motioned towards her chest, the gesture causing ChiChi’s face to redden. “Goku-sa’ has told me her, uh, her breast have felt a bit sore,” ChiChi explained, his face burning brighter with each word.

“I see,” Bulma said, feeling her own cheeks growing a touch warm even as she took the comment into consideration. “How about any coughing fits? Sore throat? Sneezing?”

“None of that,” ChiChi sighed. “But she has been getting’ dizzy spells when she’s up too long.”

Bulma hummed as she plucked the thermometer from between Goku’s lips. Just as she had suspected, Goku’s temperature was normal and from what she had heard it didn’t seem like Goku had the flu. “No temperature or sore throat, but there’s been a change in appetite and you have no energy,” Bulma muttered lowly to herself as she turned everything over in her mind. “And… and your breasts are sore.”

She felt her stomach twist and tighten as her face began to grow warm as a sudden thought crawled into her mind. ChiChi must have noticed her reaction as he leaned closer to Bulma’s side. “Have ya thought of somethin’ Bulma-sa’?” 

Bulma shifted uncomfortably as she peeked into her satchel for her supplies, pointedly avoiding ChiChi’s concerned gaze. “Uh, ChiChi-san, do you think I could trouble you for a cup of tea?”

ChiChi straightened and from the corner of her eye Bulma could see he was fighting the urge to frown distastefully at her request. “Tea?” he repeated, before forcing his voice to return to its even, polite tone. “I suppose I could brew ya up a pot.”

“And, uh,” she put in quickly before he could move towards the door. “Perhaps a bite to eat? I had to skip breakfast in order to make it here when I did so…”

By now the patience was beginning to slip from ChiChi’s demeanor, but in an hour or two he might understand her motives a bit better and forgive Bulma’s tactics. “Well, ya did come a long way. I suppose I could take a minute ta whip ya up somethin’.” ChiChi took a moment to lean in and plant a quick peck to Goku’s cheek (and Bulma was amused to she her nose twisted childishly in response to the gesture) before heading out the door. 

The sound of the door closing behind her alerted Bulma to the fact that it was now just her and Goku in the bedroom, yet somehow the two of them being alone together didn’t make the situation any easier. “Son-kun,” Bulma began in a slow, measured voice as she pulled the home test she had packed as an afterthought out of her satchel. “Can I ask you, woman to woman, when was the last time you… uh, you had your p-period?”

*

By the time Bulma had walked back into the kitchen, ChiChi had finished making what smelled like an absolutely wonderful meal. His back was towards her as he ladled some noodles and broth into a large bowl, careful not to spill a single drop before grabbing the kettle that had been resting on the stove and pouring the water into a nearby mug. She watched as his long black hair, tied just below his neck with a simple red band, swished back and forth against his broad back. His hands were broad and calloused yet they could move so delicately and, if the scent of this meal were any indication, were capable of performing even a mundane task with ease. 

ChiChi turned around just as Bulma pulled out a chair and sat down gingerly at the kitchen table. A pleasant smile had spread across his features as he set down the bowl and mug in front of Bulma. “Sorry it took so long,” ChiChi said sincerely. “Sorry there’s no meat. With Goku stuck in bed, there’s been no one ta do the fishin’.”

“Its fine,” Bulma smiled as she looked down at her bowl. There was a beautifully boiled egg split in two nestled on top of a bed of rice noodles alongside freshly chopped radishes, green onions, and spinach. Her smile widen at the sight. ChiChi was a thoughtful young man who seemed so eager to provide for his wife. He was attentive and hardworking, but he was also young, so very young. “ChiChi-san,” she began carefully as she struggled to meet the young man’s gaze. “I think… I may have figured out what’s wrong with Son-kun.”

“Really?” His eyes were impossibly wide and he when pulled out a chair across from Bulma and his movements were a tad uncoordinated. “So she doesn’t need ta see a doctor then?”

“No, she’ll still need a doctor,” Bulma put in quickly. “In fact, she’s going to need a lot of care soon.” She watched as his face drained of color and Bulma was quick to add “She’s not sick!” before reconsidering her words. “Not really, at least.”

“Bulma-sa’, please!” ChiChi said desperately. “Tell me straight. What’s wrong with Goku-sa’? A man has a right ta know what’s goin’ on with his own wife!”

“You’re right,” Bulma laughed awkwardly. “You’re absolutely right.”

She sighed as she shifted in her seat, the plastic stick sitting in her lap seeming to weigh a ton as she reached down and touched the tissue paper she had wrapped around it. Suddenly Bulma regretted taking the phone from her father’s hand and wished desperately that she was back in West City. A boring day stuck in the laboratory with her dad would be infinitely less awkward than delivering this news to ChiChi.

“ChiChi-san,” Bulma began nervously, slowing her speech in order to give herself time to think of just how to phrase her words. “Your house… is quite lovely.” She watched as ChiChi frowned, confusion and frustration clashing in his gaze as he waited expectantly for Bulma to get to the point. “It’s so nice and cozy. Just right for three people.”

“Well, Pa an’ I did plan it out that way,” he began leisurely. “When Goku-sa’ said she wanted ta move back ta the mountains we… Wait… _Three_ people?”

Bulma nodded, her face positively red as she pulled out the home pregnancy test from beneath the table in order to show ChiChi the little red plus sign resting in its base. “ChiChi-san, you’re going to be a father.”


	3. Breaking the News

Kuririn groaned as he listened to the field of static that seemed far too persistent to his ears. It was early afternoon and despite the change in season, the weather was still blisteringly warm on the small island, too warm to bother with training out under the unforgiving sun. Muten Roshi was upstairs taking his afternoon nap, Umigame was down in the basement sorting through boxes, while Lunch was cooking away in the kitchen, leaving Kuririn with nothing much to do aside from fuss with the television which had chosen today of all days to lose its signal. Not that the small antenna had ever been very reliable, but after years of being stuck on the same station, it seemed intent on proving its inability to do much else.

Distorted voices began to emerge from beneath the heavy static, and Kuririn felt confident with just a few more twists he would soon be able to make out an actual station.

Somewhere within the kitchen the phone began to ring, its sudden chime causing Kuririn’s hand to jerk in the wrong direction, and the distortion to kick back into full force, erasing all signs of his progress. He groaned low in his throat as Lunch plucked the phone from its mount on the second ring. 

“Hello, Kame House, Lunch speaking,” she said pleasantly as Kuririn did his best to recreate his near success. “Oh Bulma-san! It’s so good to hear from you. Did you ever get in touch with Goku’s husband? I heard from Kame Sennin that he was trying to reach you.”

Upbeat music began to play as the static lowered and the field of snow obscuring the screen slowly began to evaporate. Kuririn smiled triumphantly as he took a step back and found that there was now an actual picture displayed on the screen. The station he had picked up seemed to be in the middle of an advertisement, but it was better than listening to white noise and with the promise of entertainment at hand he settled down on the couch and waited patiently for the program to return. 

“You’re kidding,” he heard Lunch gasp from within the kitchen and suddenly he found his attention drifting from the television to the other end of the small house. “You’re kidding!” Pearls of laughter erupted from Lunch as she practically jumped up and down in the other room. Kuririn frowned and reached for the remote control, turning the volume down until it was at little more than a whisper. “Oh that’s wonderful!” Lunch went on merrily. “I’ll have to tell the others. Oh this is so exciting! Thank you for calling. Goodbye, Bulma-san!”

Kuririn was on his feet and heading towards the kitchen just as Lunch began to step out, the two nearly colliding in the narrow doorway. “Lunch-san, what happened?” Kuririn asked as the woman all but brushed past him. “What did Bulma-san say?”

“Oh Kuririn!” Lunch said seeming to remember his presence for the first time. “It’s too exciting! I have to tell everyone. Quick: go get Umigame while I wake up Kame Sennin.”

He was about to ask her once again to explain what had just transpired, but Lunch was off and up the stairs before he could form the words properly. With a reluctant sigh, he headed down stairs as he had been directed. He found Umigame nearly buried beneath a stack of boxes and old books and felt certain that if he had not found the old turtle the poor creature would have easily been lost forever.

“Sorry to disturb you,” Kuririn said as he walked up behind the turtle and grabbed him by the shell. “But Lunch-san wanted me to bring you upstairs.”

Umigame let out a small noise of surprise as Kuririn lifted him off the ground, but did not put up much of a fuss as he was carried up the stairs. “Is it time for lunch already?” he asked leisurely.

“Not yet,” Kuririn told him, his own mind still swirling with possibilities. “But Bulma-san called just a moment ago and told Lunch-san something exciting.”

Umigame hummed thoughtfully when they arrived on the ground floor. “Knowing Bulma-san it could be something dangerous,” he reasoned.

“Could be,” Kuririn agreed as he set Umigame back down on the ground. Danger did seem to follow Bulma around, but given Lunch’s reaction he doubted the news would be anything terrible.

The two of them didn’t have much of a chance to mull over the possibilities as Lunch came rushing down the stairs with a still groggy Muten Roshi trailing behind her. The smile had yet to leave her features and Kuririn had to wonder what had gotten her so excited. 

“Lunch-san, what was so important that you had to wake an old man from his nap?” Muten Roshi asked as he made a show of yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes while not bothering to remove his sunglasses.

“Bulma-san just called with some very exciting news!” she all but beamed. She was smiling from ear to ear and nearly shaking with happiness as she spoke. “She went to see Goku-chan and her husband and…”

“And?” Kuririn prompted, his interest piqued at the mention of Goku’s name. 

“And she…” Lunch went on, her eyes beginning to water as her nose began to twitch in that too familiar way.

“Oh dear,” Umigame fretted as he did his best to scurry away.

“Goku is… Ah…”

“Here it comes!” Muten Roshi called out as he grabbed Umigame by the shell and made for the door, Kuririn following quickly at his heels. 

“Ah… ah… _Achoo_!”

*

Bulma sighed as she drummed her fingers against the smooth plastic surface of the phone. She wasn’t sure what hour it would be in West City given the difference in time zones and had to wonder if it was too early or too late to call. Yet given the circumstances it might be fine to call home. 

She wished desperately that she hadn’t left her phone book at home. There were so many people to talk to. It was a shame she couldn’t reach out to Tenshinhan or Chaozu as they always seemed to be out in the wildness and beyond reach and even if she were currently annoyed with Yamucha she knew it would be important for him to know about this. At least Lunch knew and was no doubt telling Kame Sennin and the others on the island right now. 

With a shrug she decided there was no harm in calling home and began to punch the familiar number to Capsule Corp.

“Bulma-sa’! What d’ya think yer doin’?” 

Bulma turned to look at ChiChi just as the young man snatch the phone out of her hand and planted it firmly back on the cradle. “Hey! I was using that!” she snapped her annoyance growing at the fact that ChiChi’s glower hadn’t as much as wavered despite Bulma’s tone. 

“How can ya be tyin’ up the line at a time like this?” he shot back. The anger on his face seemed to fade away in an instant as panic made its way back into his eyes. Bulma watched as he ran a calloused hand roughly over his hair, mussing the neatly combed bangs framing his forehead and causing the hairs to stand in odd patches. “Goku-sa’… Goku-sa’ is _pregnant_! She’s havin’ a baby, my baby. _Our_ baby!”

Bulma watched the way his eyes began to jitter as his breath quickened and realized that ChiChi’s breakdown wasn’t quite over yet. She had thought for certain the cold sweats and fit of vomiting had been the worst of it, but apparently there was more for him to work out. “ChiChi-san, calm down,” she said in the gentlest voice she could muster as she did her best to guide the young man into the living room. “Let’s just take a seat and talk about this.”

“What’s there ta talk about?” ChiChi groaned as he slumped down on the couch, burying his face in his palms. “This is terrible! The two of us havin’ a baby at a time like this. Piccolo Daimao is still out there! What if he decides ta come after Goku while she’s in this state?”

Her heart stilled in her chest as her stomach grew cold. _I hadn’t thought of that._ “Well… that’s why I was callin’ our friends!” Bulma lied, hoping desperately that the nervous twinge in her voice didn’t give her away. “I’m sure if Yamucha and the others work together they can protect Son-kun!”

The thought seemed to put ChiChi’s mind somewhat at ease as the tension in his shoulder lessened ever so slightly. “Ya might be right,” ChiChi muttered thoughtfully. “He’s a monster, but… but if we all band together…”

“Exactly! See? There’s nothing to worry about.”

“But that’s not the only thing,” he sighed, his words muffled as he pressed his face deeper into his palms. ChiChi groaned before straightening himself in order to look Bulma in the eyes properly. “Does Goku-sa’ know?”

This time Bulma knew she wouldn’t be able to cover her tracks with a lie and bowed her head sheepishly under ChiChi’s intense gaze. “No,” she admitted. “She fell asleep again before the results were ready.”

“So we’ll have ta tell her,” ChiChi lamented as he slumped heavily against the couch’s sturdy back. “What a thing for a man ta have ta do! Tellin’ my own _wife_ that _she’s_ pregnant! An’ Goku-sa’ of all people… Heaven knows I love that woman ta death, but she’s so darn naïve! How’s she gonna take somethin’ like this?” He let out a heavy sigh and the look he pinned Bulma with was etched with exhaustion. “Do ya have any idea what our weddin’ night was like?”

“I don’t wanna know,” Bulma put in weakly. “But we have to tell her eventually and… well… since I’m the closest thing she has to a big sister, I suppose I should be the one.”

“No, I’ll do it,” he sighed dejectedly. “I’m her husband. It’s my duty… in a way.”

“Maybe we should both tell her?” she reasoned. “This is going to be a lot to swallow and it might be best for us to kinda work off each other.”

“I suppose yer right.” ChiChi sighed, long and deep and heavy as he continued to sink deep into the padding of the sofa. “Ya know, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this was a possibility. I mean, we are married an all, but I never thought it would happen this fast!”

“I never thought it would happen at all,” Bulma admitted. “Son-kun was always such a tomboy. I never would’ve thought she’d beat me to the altar. And now she’s having a baby.” She smiled and shook her head ruefully. “The world is full of surprises.”

*

Kuririn felt as if his entire world had been turned upside down. He looked down at his hands and found that they were trembling. Despite the fact that he was sitting perfectly still his body felt as if he were slowly sinking into the Earth. His mind was scrambling as his heartbeat drowned out all sound from his ears.

It had taken some effort for the other occupants of the tiny island to calm Lunch’s violent persona down before throwing some pepper in her direction, switching her back to her normal state. Once she had regained her bearings Lunch shared the news she had heard from Bulma earlier in the day: Goku was pregnant.

Kuririn grimaced and closed his eyes as his head twanged at the thought. He had spent years wrestling with his feelings for Goku, torn between friendship and his painfully one sided crush, but any hope of exploring those feelings had been utterly crushed when ChiChi had appeared seemingly out of thin air and asked for Goku’s hand in marriage. Now the two were having a baby, an actual honest to goodness baby, and suddenly the bad dream that was Goku and ChiChi’s marriage was all the realer.

Yet that wasn’t what had his insides twisting themselves into knots of pain.

“That ChiChi is one fast worker,” Muten Roshi chuckled fondly as he sipped at his second celebratory beer. “Never would have thought that such a shy young thing would have it in ‘im.”

“It’s so exciting,” Lunch sighed wistfully as she served out bowls of steamed rice around the small table. “It seems like just yesterday Goku-chan was getting married and now she’s having a baby.”

“It’s unexpected to say the least,” Umigame put in. “Goku-san a mother. Who would have thought?”

Kuririn frowned. He felt as if he were floating outside of himself, watching his friends drinking and laughing, oblivious to the danger that was lurking in the shadows. He didn’t want to be the one to burst the bubble of joy that had settled upon the group, but if no one else was thinking this, then he felt obligated to steer the conversation in the right direction. “With all due respect,” he began hesitantly, hating himself more and more with each passing second, “I don’t think now is the time to be celebrating.”

The weight of Muten Roshi’s stern gaze pressed into him like a firm hand on his shoulder, but Kuririn could tell that understanding was slowly starting to dawn upon his master. Still, Kuririn pushed on. “Piccolo Daimao is still alive and now Goku’s put herself in a dangerous position.”

The room suddenly felt tight and compressed, as if Kuririn had opened and window and let out all of the air.

“Kuririn,” Muten Roshi began firmly as he set his drink aside. “I know you’re concerned for your friend, but the world is at peace now. Goku and her husband are two young people in love and this is a natural part of their love’s journey.”

“Kuririn, your heart is in the right place,” Lunch began gently, “but I think you might be overreacting a bit.”

His face felt warm as he sat underneath the pitying gaze of his friends. He suddenly felt split between second guessing himself and holding onto the panic in his heart at the thought of Piccolo Daimao’s son hunting Goku down and slaughtering her like an animal in her weakened state. Goku’s love may no longer be his to win, but she was still his dear friend, someone who had gone to the ends of the Earth to avenge him. He would consider himself a pathetic friend if he were to just sit by and hope for the best while his friend had put herself in danger.

“Muten Roshi-sama, Lunch-san, I’m sorry,” he said, determined to stick to his resolve. “I… I can’t stay here. I have to go to Goku. I… I want to protect her.”

Silence fell on the small living room as his friends quietly regarded him. Kuririn felt embarrassed and foolish, but despite it all he knew what he was doing was right as he stood in order to prepare himself for his journey.

Yet when Muten Roshi offered him a fond smile he suddenly felt lighter. “Now, now Kuririn, there’s no need to run off just yet.” He took a moment and sipped leisurely at his drink before continuing on, “Let’s finish this lovely meal that Lunch-san worked so hard to prepare before we set off.” 

Kuririn felt the tension ease from his body at his master’s words. “You mean…?”

“You and Goku have always had such a strong bond,” Muten Roshi chuckled. “And I learned well enough after the way she ran off to fight Piccolo Daimao the first time against my wishes just how fierce that bond could be. But what do you think if we were to call up Tenshinhan and the others before we barged in on the newlyweds? I’m sure they’d be of much the same mind as you, Kuririn.”

*

Goku wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up next. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for so long it was beginning to get hard to keep track of time. She blinked her eyes and shifted from beneath her quilt as she craned her neck towards the window. Even with the curtains drawn Goku could tell there wasn’t much sunlight left outside, which meant she had slept straight through the day and had arrived at dinner time. Usually her stomach would be singing at the prospects of food, but all she could feel was an unpleasant quake at the thought of eating.

Goku missed eating. She missed training. She missed being able to stay up for more than a few minutes without feeling light headed and off. Yet despite her frustrations with her body’s current state she wasn’t scared, because Bulma was here. Bulma was really smart, she told Goku that many times, and Goku was confident that by now Bulma had figured out just what was making her feel so strange.

Her eyes began to droop with a too familiar heaviness and soon Goku found herself taking long, sluggish blinks and exhaustion crept back upon her. The pillow was so inviting and still perfectly modeled to her head and the blankets were warm and toasty. Sleep was calling her name, but Goku was determined not to give in.

_Gotta get up,_ Goku thought even though her body seemed to have other plans in mind. _Gotta get outta bed._

Despite the fact that ChiChi had removed her weighted clothes days ago, Goku still found moving her arms and legs to be a challenge. With a yawn and a few minutes of wiggling her fingers and toes to get the sleepy feeling out of her limbs, Goku finally managed to crawl her way out from beneath the quilt. She sat up straight and planted her feet down on the ground and already her head began to swim. 

“Gotta get up,” Goku found herself saying now, her tongue heavy from lack of use and her mouth coated in an oddly cotton like taste. “Gotta get outta bed.”

Pushing aside the last strip of bedding, Goku eventually managed to stand upright. For a moment she felt fine, felt normal, but the sensation didn’t last very long before her limbs began to demand that she return back to the soft surface of her mattress, but Goku fought on. 

Making her way down the hall she began to hear the sounds of voices whispering and began to steer herself towards them. No doubt ChiChi was talking to Bulma about what was wrong with Goku and she wanted to be part of the conversation. She found the two of them in the kitchen, sitting across from each other and looking very serious. Goku was surprised that there was no food on the table, just cups of tea, and she wondered if she had slept past supper.

“Guess I missed another meal,” Goku said weakly in order to make her presence known. “Sorry about that.”

Bulma and ChiChi turned to her, both of them looking startled and somewhat guilty. ChiChi shot to his feet, the chair he was sitting in knocking over and clattering to the ground at his sudden movement. “Goku-sa’ yer outta bed,” he said as he rushed over to her side. “Ya should be restin’.”

“I rested enough,” Goku smiled as ChiChi gently placed a hand on her back and guided her towards the table. Bulma stood in order to straighten the chair that had been up ended and ChiChi ushered her into the wooden seat. Goku turned towards her oldest friend and smiled. “Bulma, did ChiChi tell you he taught me to cook? He’s better than me at makin’ fancy stuff, but I’m pretty good.”

“That’s nice to hear, Son-kun,” Bulma said, her smile looking a bit uneasy as she spoke. “I’m proud of you.”

“When I’m feelin’ better, I’ll have to make you somethin’.”

“Her udon stir fry is really comin’ along nicely,” ChiChi said proudly as he placed a fond hand on her shoulder. 

Bulma gave a polite chuckle, but it did little to hide the hesitant look in her eyes.

“Bulma,” Goku began slowly, feeling impatient at the odd atmosphere that had settled upon the kitchen. “Did you figure out what’s makin’ me sick?”

She watched as Bulma shifted under her gaze, her eyes darting around the room as she rubbed at her bare arm and seemed to turn something over in her head. “Well, actually Son-kun, I did,” Bulma relented as she pulled out a chair and gingerly sat down across from Goku. ChiChi gave Goku’s shoulder one last squeeze before pulling out a chair by her side and sitting down. “But, like I told ChiChi-san, I still think you should see a real doctor to get a second opinion.”

“That’s okay, Bulma,” Goku said with a wave of her hand. “I’m sure whatever it is you’re right about it. I trust you.”

Her attention shifted as ChiChi grasped her right hand in his own, cradling it between his palms as he sometimes did. Goku didn’t say it very often, but she enjoyed ChiChi’s touch. His hands were big and firm, but made her feel so warm in the pit of her stomach. She looked into his eyes and found something funny there. It was almost the funny look he gave her whenever he would press his mouth against hers, but there was something else there now. “Goku-sa’,” he began gently. “What Bulma-sa’ is sayin’… well, what we’re both sayin’ is… There’s gonna be some changes around here.”

Goku felt her stomach flutter unpleasantly and pressed her free hand against her belly, a gesture that caught Bulma and ChiChi’s attention. “What kinda changes?” 

“You see Son-kun, when a man and a woman love each other very much-”

“She already knows that part, Bulma-sa’!” ChiChi snapped impatiently. “I already told her that!”

“ChiChi-san,” Bulma began as she gritted her teeth in that scary way she often did whenever she wanted to be taken seriously. “We agreed that I was going to tell her!”

“No!” ChiChi said sharply as his eyebrow began to twitch dangerously. “We agreed we were _both_ gonna tell her.”

“Can one of you tell me?” Goku asked wearily as a twinge began to build just behind her eyes. “My head’s startin’ ta throb.”

The two of them shared a sheepish look as ChiChi dropped Goku’s hand for just a moment in order to grab a glass from the cupboard. “Goku-sa’,” ChiChi began over as he filled the glass with water and placed in down on the table. “Do ya… do ya like babies?”


	4. Gatherings

ChiChi cringed as he held the receiver firmly in his right hand, the nervous energy in his fingers only finding their relief by rhythmically smoothing the coiled phone cord with his free hand as he listened to the deep sobs coming from the other end of the line. “Pa, please,” ChiChi muttered gently into the mouth piece. “Don’t go gettin’ yerself all worked up now.”

“Jus’ how d’ya reckon I should be gettin’?” his father’s deep voice bellowed. Gyumao’s usual mirthful boom was drowned out by his watery whimpering as he continued to blubber like a baby into the phone. “Ain’t everyday a man finds out he’s ‘bout ta become a grampa!” 

“Pa,” ChiChi sighed wearily just as his he felt someone’s elbow bump briefly against his hip. He glowered and stepped closer towards the wall where the phone had been mounted in order to allow for more flow in and out of the small kitchen. It was a needless gesture as every ounce of space within the house had become occupied. 

They had finally taken Goku over to the nearest city in order to see a doctor who confirmed exactly what Bulma had suspected: Goku was indeed pregnant. The big city doctor had used some fancy new technology in order to calculate that Goku had conceived just a few weeks ago, meaning that she was still early in her first trimester. She had told them that the baby was developing nicely and that Goku should be feeling better when she reached her second trimester, a fact that Goku was disheartened to hear once she learned that a trimester was three months long.

ChiChi had originally thought to keep the whole matter quiet until Goku made it to her third month and, hopefully, regained her bearings, but just days after they had gone to see the doctor the rest of Goku’s strange friends had arrived on their door step, disrupting their little bubble of peace and quiet. Now there was nowhere to turn in the small cottage without running into someone and everyone seemed intent on taking up every single second of Goku’s waking moments, brief as they were. What’s worse was that all of Goku’s friends seemed to share her near bottomless appetite and as a result their food supply flew out faster than it could be brought in. 

The only saving grace that could be found was in Lunch, who was eager to help with the cooking and the cleaning, but that was only half the time. The other half she was angry and unpleasant and kept shooting holes in the walls. 

His eyes drifted across the room and landed on Lunch, who was currently preparing breakfast on the other end of the kitchen. ChiChi could see a small pepper shaker resting by the counter top by her elbows and silently prayed that they could go one day without a nasty incident.

“ChiChi,” his father began, his deep voice dragging ChiChi out of his thoughts, “are ya sure ya don’t need nothin’? Anythin’? I’m sure ya’ve got yer hands full workin’ that farm an’ all, but someone needs ta watch after Goku-chan.”

“My hands are full, alright,” ChiChi grumbled as Lunch passed by with a quick “excuse me” in order to make way for the massive tray layered with a seemingly absurd amount of food that she was carrying into the living room. “But it ain’t with farmin’. Goku-sa’s friends showed up an’ their eatin’ every last scrap of food.”

“Goku-chan’s friends?” his father began, his voice sounding somewhat stricken and causing a pang of guilt to stab at ChiChi’s stomach. “Ya mean ya told ‘em ‘bout the baby before yer own pa?”

“No Pa! It ain’t like that,” ChiChi sighed wearily. “I wanted ta tell ya first, but Bulma-sa’ was the one ta figure it out an’ she went an’ told everyone else before I could even think ta call ya! I’m sorry Pa.”

A loud sniff greeted his ears and again ChiChi felt his insides begin to twist. “It’s alright son,” his father offered. “I believe ya. But are ya sure ya don’t want nothin’? I’d gladly head over there in a jif if ya need me ta.”

“Believe me, Pa, there ain’t no room for ya,” he muttered bitterly. “We’re all packed like sardines as it is.”

*

“You’re looking a bit better today, Goku,” Yamucha said cheerfully as he gave his friend’s arm a quick pat. “Your color’s finally coming back.”

They were all packed in tight in the living that Goku had once thought was pretty big when ChiChi had first built it. It was the largest room in their house, so ChiChi had carried Goku to the couch that morning in order to allow her some space to be able to entertain her friends. Kuririn was currently perched on the armrest of the sofa near her feet, while Tenshinhan, Yamucha, and Chaozu all sat cross legged on the floor. Kame Sennin had grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and dragged it into the living room, while Oolong and Pu’ar made due squeezing in as best as they could. Bulma had made a point to set herself down in the large recliner ChiChi’s daddy usually sat in and seemed unwilling to share with anyone, especially Kame Sennin and Oolong. 

“I’m feelin’ a bit better,” Goku said weakly as she cradled the bowl of broth in her hands, enjoying the way the warmth felt against her palms. She was happy that her friends had come to visit her. Just having all of them around made her feel like some of her strength was find its way back to her. She hoped in a few days she’d be well enough to taste Lunch’s cooking again. She missed that more than anything. “Too bad I can’t just eat a senzu an’ be back to normal.”

“Well, maybe now that you’ll be off your feet for a while the rest of us can finally get a chance to catch up,” Kuririn teased between slurping at his own soup. 

Goku frowned at that. The baby doctor had told her she wouldn’t be allowed to do any type of training until after the baby was born, which would be another eight months from now, and even then ChiChi was telling Goku she might have to give up fighting all together in order to be a good mommy because the baby was going to need her a lot. She looked down at her bare wrists and longed for the feel of her weighted bands pulling at her arms. It had been so long since she had worked up a sweat that she was starting to forget what it felt like to be worn out from something other than just standing upright.

Yamucha must have noticed the way her mood was darkening as his hand began to rub encouragingly at her arm. “Hey now, cheer up, Goku. Kuririn was just joking!”

“Yamucha’s right,” Tenshinhan offered hopefully. Lunch had come up behind him in order to offer him a bowl of noodles and Goku was able to catch the way he flinched slightly at her approach. Lunch was in her nicer state, but Tenshinhan was always weary of the other personality’s appearance since it happened so sporadically. “You’re so far above us, I’m sure it’ll take years for any of us to catch up, even with a baby.”

“Y-yeah,” Kuririn said quickly, his smile wavering with uncertainty as he scrambled to think of something encouraging to tell her, “and I’m sure it won’t be long before you’ll be able to get back out there and invent some amazing new techniques.” 

Goku smiled as her friends’ encouragement, her mood brightening in the face of their support. “You’re right,” she said pleasantly. “An’ I bet when the baby’s a bit older I can start trainin’ it too.”

“My my, another child learning my techniques?” Kame Sennin chuckled as he dabbed at the broth running down his chin with a napkin. “I’m starting to feel a bit like an expectant grandfather myself.”

“More like a great, great, _great_ grandfather,” Bulma teased, her words causing the other occupants of the cramped living room to erupt into fits of laughter. 

“Do you know what the baby will be?” Chaozu asked, his meal temporarily forgotten in favor of the mystery that was Goku’s stomach.

Her belly was still smooth and flat, but the deep muscles that had once etched her toned stomach were slowly starting to disappear. Bulma and baby doctor had said that in a few months her belly would start to expand as the baby got bigger and soon she would be round like a balloon. The idea was a little scary, but also kind of funny and Goku couldn’t imagine herself walking around with a big watermelon sized stomach.

“The doctor said it was still too early to tell, but ChiChi said he doesn’t wanna find out til the baby is born.”

“So it’s a secret then?” Chaozu concluded, his intrigue growing at the idea.

“Don’t go using your powers to figure it out,” Yamucha chided playfully. “I’m sure it’ll be more exciting if it’s a surprise.”

“What do you want it to be, Goku-san?” Pu’ar asked eagerly.

Goku considered the question for a moment as she sipped carefully at the broth filling her bowl. “I dunno,” she said at length. “I’m okay with anythin’: boy or girl or whatever.”

“I think there are only two options, Son-kun,” Bulma teased gently.

“We’ll see,” Goku shrugged.

“Well,” Bulma went on, brushing aside Goku’s words with ease, “I have a feeling you’ll be having a boy. I just can’t see you with a girl.”

“A little boy would be so adorable!” Lunch gushed. “Can you imagine it? A tiny boy version of Goku?”

“I don’t have to,” Bulma chuckled. “Son-kun _is_ a boy version of Son-kun.”

The others chuckled good naturedly as Goku sipped at her broth. The flavor was surprisingly pleasant on her tongue and she felt happy knowing that her appetite was slowly returning. 

“I have to say,” Yamucha put in as he stirred his noodles around the bottom of his bowl. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a girl.”

“How precious!” Lunch agreed pleasantly. “Tiny dresses and pink ribbons.”

“Really, Yamucha?” Bulma snapped tersely as she crossed her arms dangerously over her chest. “You’re just sayin’ that to disagree with me. How typical of you!”

“No, I’m not! I swear,” Yamucha promised as he threw up his hands defensively, his food dropping to his lap and nearly spilling onto the floor. “I just have a hunch, that’s all.”

“Yamucha-sama could be right,” Pu’ar put in, always quick to rush to Yamucha’s aid. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance after all.”

Tenshinhan hummed as he considered this new idea. “I have to agree with Bulma,” he said at length. “I just can’t see Son raising a girl. A boy just seems… natural.”

The discussion was put to a sudden end as ChiChi entered the room and cleared his voice pointedly, drawing all eyes towards him. “I’m headin’ out for the day,” he announced to the room. “I reckon I’ll be back late since I’m gettin’ such a late start an’ all.”

“Aw, that’s too bad,” Goku said sympathetically. She knew that ChiChi had his hands full with the first harvest being just days away. She wished that she weren’t stuck inside so she could get her hands dirty and help him. “I wish I could go with you. Farmin’ can be pretty good trainin’.”

A thoughtful gleam seemed to light Kame Sennin’s features as he ran a hand over his long white beard. “You might have a point there, Goku-chan,” he said at length before turning his gaze towards the others. “Kuririn, Yamucha, go accompany ChiChi to his field.”

The two former disciples flinched at their master’s words as the exchanged startled looks at one another. “Muten Roshi-sama, you can’t be serious?” Kuririn sputtered. “We came here to protect Goku, didn’t we?”

“And how much protecting are the two of you doing sitting around gossiping like a couple of old hens?” he snapped sternly. “There are too many idle hands and ChiChi has been a more than gracious host. It’s time we repay his hospitality.

“Kuririn and Yamucha will work the field and neither one of you better lay a finger on that farming equipment! You boys will be using your hands and nothing else.

“Tenshinhan and Chaozu will pick up supplies. Bulma-san told me the next town over is three hours by plane. We’ll see how fast the two of you can get there on foot.” 

“That’s just the sorta thing I’d expect from ya, Muten Roshi-sama!” ChiChi said happily. “I’m sure my work’ll get done in half the time today!”

“Lunch-san and I will stay here and clean up,” Bulma volunteered, although Goku suspected that Lunch would be the one doing all of the cleaning. “Besides, I picked up a few baby books in town that I want to go over with Son-kun. She has a lot to learn and not a lot of time to learn it in.”

Goku blanched distastefully at Bulma’s words. She had seen the stack of books, but had assumed they would be for ChiChi or someone else to read. “You mean I gotta study to be a mommy?”

“I’m afraid so,” Bulma said, her lips curling in an imitation of a sympathetic smile as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her capsule case. “Oh, and I almost forgot! I also picked up a house while I was in town. I’ll set it up across the way so we can be out of your hair tonight, ChiChi-san.”

“So good of ya ta remember that nearly a week after the fact,” ChiChi grumbled bitterly.

“And while we’re all working and doing chores what will you be doing, Muten Roshi-sama?” Kuririn asked suspiciously. 

“Watching after my star pupil, of course,” he announced. Goku watched as a hungry grin spread across the old man’s bearded face as a small bit of drool appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I’m sure with her body changing the way it is, her breast are getting plenty tender.” 

A deep _thud_ filled the air as Bulma crossed the room in the blink of an eye in order to slam her fist against the back of Kame Sennin’s head. The old man toppled over like a sack of potatoes and fell face first into the wooden floor. “That’s just the sorta thing _I’d_ expect from you,” she sneered.

*

“ChiChi, you don’t hafta fuss over me so much,” Goku whined as ChiChi lifted her off of the couch and into his strong arms with ease. “I ain’t a baby.”

The house was finally empty again as all of her friends had retreated over to Bulma’s capsule home as soon as dinner was done and Goku had to admit that she already missed them. It had only been a few months, but she had forgotten how good it felt to be surrounded by her odd little group of friends. She hoped they stayed long enough for her to get back on her feet so she could be a chance to spar with Tenshinhan and the others again.

“I know yer not a baby, Goku-sa’,” ChiChi chuckled as he carried her over to their bedroom, “but ya are havin’ _my_ baby an’ that means I hafta fuss over ya.”

Goku blushed and bowed her head at her husband’s words. It always embarrassed Goku when ChiChi got all mushy with her. “Bulma was readin’ to me from that baby book today,” she told him in order to change the subject. “There are a lotta foods I can’t eat while the baby’s in my tummy.”

ChiChi gave a weary sigh as he pushed their bedroom door open with his hip. “Goku-sa’ please tell me that wasn’t the only thing ya paid attention ta!”

“Well, no,” she mumbled sheepishly as he gently set her down on their bed. “But it was a lotta stuff!”

“Well ya won’t be pregnant forever,” ChiChi said reassuringly as he rearranged their pillows in order to ensure that Goku was comfortable. “Yer already doin’ much better than ya were. Just a few days ago ya wouldn’t’ve been able ta stay up near this late!”

“Bein’ ‘round my friends again is makin’ me feel much stronger,” Goku said brightly as ChiChi draped the blankets across her lap. “It was real nice of everyone to come visit like this.”

ChiChi’s mouth twitched in that way it often did when he was trying hard to think of something nice to say when he couldn’t. Despite his dedication to honest, ChiChi was always determined to be polite. He didn’t blurt things out or say the first thing that came to mind the way Goku always did, but there were times when he’d be pushed to his edge and his sharp tongue would find its way out in spite of his best efforts. There was a bitter word building in ChiChi’s throat, but he managed to swallow it down as he forced out a chuckle and sat down gently at the foot of the bed. 

“I’m jus’ glad they started leadin’ a hand,” ChiChi said at length. “The house works been really pilin’ up an’ pretty soon we’ll have ta get ta work on buildin’ a nursery for the baby.”

“Can’t the baby just sleep in our room?” Goku asked. “When I was little, me an’ Grampa used to sleep in the same bed every night.”

ChiChi chuckled as he gave Goku’s lap a fond pat. “Goku-sa’ we when Pa an’ I designed this house we made sure there’d be plenty of room for when the babies came along,” he explained gently. “We might be startin’ a bit earlier than I thought, but we’ll easily be able ta fit a nursery right down the hall. ‘Sides, I want our baby’s up bringin’ ta be different than what you an’ I had.”

“What d’ya mean?” 

“Well, for starters, I want our baby ta be a hard worker like his Pa,” ChiChi declared proudly. He sat up straighter, back arched and jaw set as a determined gleam settled in his eyes. “He’s gonna have a lotta responsibility when he grows up, since he’ll be inheritin’ our land an’ my Pa’s title. Plus, I wanna make sure he’s plenty smart. The world is changin’ an’ our boy won’t be able ta get by usin’ his fists. He’ll study hard every day so I can turn him inta a brilliant scholar.”

A deep frown settled on Goku’s features as she processed what ChiChi was saying. “Did… didja just start thinkin’ about all that?” she asked as he hands suddenly found their way to her stomach. It felt like just yesterday that they had found out there would be a baby at all, yet ChiChi had already made all these plans without her.

“Of course not, Goku-sa’,” ChiChi said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ve been thinkin’ about this since before we were married. It’s only right that a man plans out his child’s future.”

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her nightshirt as she considered all of this. “But… we don’t even know if the baby’s gonna be a boy yet.”

“Of course it’s gonna be a boy!” ChiChi chortled. “That’s the way it is in my family. The first child is _always_ a boy. ‘Sides, even if it is a girl, I already know _exactly_ what we’re gonna do with her.”

“You do?” Goku cringed.

The proud stance ChiChi had taken didn’t waver one bit as he gave a thoughtful nod. “If it’s a girl, then I’m gonna raise her ta be a proper lady. She’ll be even tempered an’ proper so she can find herself a good husband someday.”

An uneasy feeling settled inside her as she tugged at the hem of her shirt. She had gone along with everything ChiChi had said for a while now, because even if she didn’t understand his ideas, they always seemed reasonable, yet for the first time what he was saying didn’t sound right. No, it wasn’t the first time, because when he had told her she would have to give up fighting to be a good mother that hadn’t sounded right either.

“ChiChi,” Goku began slowly, “none of that stuff sounds very fun.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” ChiChi answered automatically. “It’s not supposed ta be fun. Bein’ a parent is hard work. We gotta make sure our children have a good future ahead of them an’ startin’ early is the best way ta do it.”

Goku began to protest, but was instantly silenced when ChiChi leaned forward and pressed his lips against her mouth. “We don’t have ta talk about this anymore,” ChiChi assured her as he ran his hand over her hair. “It’s gettin’ late an’ we both need ta get some rest for tomorrow.”

The room fell silent as ChiChi turned out the lights before slipping into bed beside his wife. Sleep had already begun to settle on her and Goku reasoned it would be okay to let the conversation end there, because the topic wasn’t very interesting and in a day or two she would realize that ChiChi’s idea wasn’t so bad. Closing her eyes, Goku settled down in bed quietly and after an hour or two of fretting eventually found herself drifting off to sleep.


	5. Over the Hump

The new day arrived with a sense of promise. The sun was shining bright overhead and while the air was crisp with a slight chill, the grass and trees still maintained the green luster that was common year round in Mount Paozu.

Goku took in a deep breath and allowed the tepid winter air to fill her lungs. After little more than a month of feeling weak and unstable she was finally sturdy once more. Her muscles were tight and filled with blood and her body was feather light as she allowed the sunlight to bathe her bare skin. She had made it through the other side of her illness and Goku felt ready to take on the world.

ChiChi had already left for the day. He had determined the other night that the vegetables would be ready to harvest in the morning and would likely be gone all the way until sundown. Yamucha and Chaozu had been drafted into helping him gather the crops to be sold in the next village over, which meant that the two of them would be gone for most of the day as well, but that still meant that the rest of her friends were waiting over at Bulma’s capsule house.

A thrill ran through Goku’s being as she headed over to the closet in order to get dressed for the day. Her training clothes were easy to find, hidden way in the back of the closet in the box that ChiChi had packed them in, but when she slipped them on it felt just like home.

It had only been a few weeks since she had last put on her orange gi and weighted clothing, but already Goku could tell there was a change in their fit. The usually loose pants clung a tad snug that day and her belt had far less slack when she tied it around her waist. She reasoned it had to do with the way her belly had begun to stick out ever so slightly. With her clothes on it was still unnoticeable, but when she stood in only her skins the growing roundness was slowly starting to become apparent.

With a shrug she brushed the thought aside and headed out the door. It was still early in the day and the smell of Lunch preparing breakfast was present in the air even before she could reach the other side of the yard. Her eyes landed on the window that was opened wide and causing the curtains within to flutter and Goku decided to take it as an open invitation. Planting her hand on the base of the windowsill she was easily able to maneuver her way inside. Her feet touched down on the carpeted floor just as Bulma let out a startled yelp.

“Son-kun!” Bulma gasped, jerking in surprise and causing the coffee in her mug to splash about dangerously close to the rim. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“And why didn’t you bother to use the door?” Oolong chided from his spot sitting cross legged on the floor. “Honestly, still entering through windows at your age.”

Goku chuckled. “I was feelin’ much better an’ decided to come over for breakfast.”

A familiar _rat-at-tat-tat_ came from within the kitchen accompanied by the sounds of glass shattering and dishes clattering to the floor and Goku suddenly realized she should have prepared something in her own kitchen before heading over. “Well, you’re outta luck there, Son-kun,” Bulma grumbled. She shrugged her shoulders as she gave her coffee a leisurely blow before taking a slow sip.

“An’ here I was hopin’ to have Lunch fix me up somethin’ to eat before I got some trainin’ in.”

A startled look settled upon Bulma’s face, but she was quickly interrupted when Kame Sennin made his way into the living room, a litter of bruises blooming on his head as he shuffled his way over to the couch. “Breakfast may be a little late today,” he announced as merrily as he could muster. His features brightened when his eyes landed on the new arrival. “Goku! It’s good to see you up and about. Feeling better, I see?”

“I’m feeling much better, Gramps,” Goku said proudly and illustrated her point by bending over and planting her hands on the floor. A collective gasp erupted from the room as Goku raised her legs high into the air and balanced her weight perfectly on just one hand. “My body’s finally back to the way it was!”

“Son-kun!” Bulma nearly shrieked, standing so quickly that her coffee mug slipped from her hands and onto Oolong’s lap. His pained howls fell on deaf ears as Bulma pointedly stepped over him in order to cross the room to stand by Goku’s side. “Stop that! You shouldn’t be moving about like that in your condition!”

Goku managed to gracefully jump back onto her own two feet without wobbling or breaking a sweat, her bright mood never wavering despite Bulma’s scolding air. “But I feel fine,” Goku told her bluntly as she crouched down low to the ground in order to stretch out her legs. “An’ since breakfast is gonna be late anyway, I think I’ll go straight into my mornin’ workout.”

“Bulma-san is right, Goku,” Kame Sennin advised her just as Kuririn and Tenshinhan entered the room, likely having been drawn by the commotion Bulma was causing. “You may have regained your energy, but you’re still pregnant. You have to take it easy from now on.”

Her shoulders slumped with disappointment as she stopped mid-stretch in order to search her master’s gaze for any sign of lenience. “But Gramps, I’ve been cooped up inside for weeks!” Goku pouted as she raised herself upright once more. “If I don’t do some trainin’ soon, I’m gonna lose my head!”

“Goku,” Kuririn began in an even tone of voice. It was clear from the way Kuririn fumbled with his own hands that he was feeling awkward, but Goku couldn’t see why. “I think what Bulma-san and Muten Roshi-sama are trying to say is that, well, this is just the way it’s gonna be for the next few months. Once the baby is born you can go back to training, but while he’s inside you you’ve got to stay put.”

Looking around the room, Goku could see that she was surrounded by worried looks and disapproving frowns and suddenly felt defeated. It was clear that her friends were not going to back down and she knew already that if ChiChi were around he would have agreed with everyone else and that thought just made her feel knotted up inside. “I suppose you’re right,” Goku relented and she could feel the collective sense of relief that instantly filled the room.

“You’re all a bunch of softies.”

Goku looked up and saw Lunch leaning in the doorway, her shoulders hunched and her arms crossed over her chest as she pinned the group with a distasteful scowl. Clearly she had grown bored of shooting up the kitchen and had decided to join the rest of the group.

“Lunch-san, don’t encourage her!” Bulma chided boldly while maintaining a safe distance.

Lunch huffed as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “You’re all treating her like she’s made of glass, but the girl was taking on whole armies by herself when she was still a kid!”

“That was different,” Kuririn countered wearily. “That was just Goku being Goku! Besides, she was bed ridden until just this morning.”

Lunch took a few steps forward and studied Goku carefully, looking over every inch of her as if they were meeting each other for the first time. After a moment she leaned back and shrugged her shoulders. “Seems ta be doing just fine now,” Lunch concluded indifferently.

Goku was practically beaming as she lifted both arms in order to flex and show off the bulging muscles of her biceps. “Sure am!” she boasted happily. “See? Lunch-san thinks trainin’ ain’t a bad idea.”

“Well, she is insane, ya know,” Oolong grumbled under his breath, but the others seemed to hear him just fine.

“It can’t be helped,” Tenshinhan sighed as he shrugged out of his shirt in order to reveal his muscled torso. The injury he had received at the hands of Tao Pai Pai had mostly healed over the last few months, but still drew the eye to the deep brown scar that had been left behind. “Son seems intent on this and we all know well enough by now that once she sets her mind to something, she never lets go.” He tossed his shirt aside and Goku was mildly amused when Lunch broke out of her cool façade in order to stumble over herself to catch the garment before it hit the ground. “Son,” Tenshinhan began again, his eyes locking with Goku’s. “If it’s a warm up match you want, I’ll be your partner.”

Excitement blossomed in the pit of her stomach as Goku’s skin tingled at the prospect of a decent fight. It may have been only a few months since their last match, but another fight with Tenshinhan sounded promising. The thought that he had likely come up with some amazing new technique since the Budokai had Goku practically bouncing on her feet.

Yet her spirits were sent clattering down to earth once more when Kame Sennin raised a single hand in protest. “Not so fast,” he said sternly, his jaw set in open disapproval as he regarded Goku carefully. “Goku, I want you to know that I do not agree with this one bit, and if your husband were here, I’m sure that he would say the same.” Goku flinched at her master’s authoritative tone, knowing well that his words held nothing but truth. “But as it’s just as Tenshinhan says; you won’t let this matter drop until you get your way. I will allow you to have one brief bout, but the opponent and rules shall be to my choosing.

“Kuririn,” he called out firmly, his gaze never wavering from Goku’s form. “You shall be the one to spar with Goku.”

*

They gathered out in the yard in front of the two houses. The distance between the homes and the tree line was more confined than the ring of the Tenkaichi Budokai, but Kame Sennin had done his best to recreate the arena by drawing a boundary line around them using the edge of his staff to carve the dirt.

The thought that ChiChi might be upset at having their yard torn up had entered Goku’s mind as she engaged in her warm up stretches, but it was a distant thought drowned out by her own glee. Kuririn on the other hand didn’t seem nearly as excited as he sweated profusely and stammered to Kame Sennin in the hopes of getting him to reconsider this arrangement.

“Muten Roshi-sama, I can’t fight Goku,” he reasoned fervently even as the others carried the wooden chairs from inside the house and lined them up around the makeshift ring in order to recreate the spectacle of the Budokai crowd. “The whole reason I came all the way out here was to protect her!”

“Think of this as protecting her in your own way,” Kame Sennin reasoned. “With Yamucha and Chaozu off working with ChiChi, the only other potential opponent would be Tenshinhan and a match between the two of them just may prove too stressful for Goku’s unborn child.”

A sour look settled on Kuririn’s face as a distasteful thought seemed to reach him. “Muten Roshi-sama,” he nearly seethed while his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“You might want to start stretching soon,” Tenshinhan suggested helpfully as he grabbed a chair and set it a few paces away from Lunch.

“Don’t go easy on ‘im Goku!” Lunch cheered teasingly as she grabbed her own chair and shifted it closer to Tenshinhan.

“Son-kun! Don’t strain yourself!” Bulma nearly pleaded. Her features were twisted with worry, a look that seemed odd and unfitting her usually smug disposition.

“Just hang in there for as reasonably long as you can, Kuririn,” Oolong called to him as he cradled his own mug of coffee in his hands. “Remember: you don’t want to be the man who gets beaten by a pregnant woman.”

“Not much better than being the man that _beats_ the pregnant woman,” Kuririn mumbled sullenly even as he began to stretch out his arms and legs in preparation for their impending fight.

“Remember Goku,” Kame Sennin began as he stood in the center of their ring between the two opponents, acting as a referee of sorts for their impromptu match. “This is a light exhibition only. Meaning: no Bukujutsu and no Kamehamehas or anything of the like.”

“I know, I know!” Goku chuckled eagerly.

Kame Sennin took a moment to regard her demeanor carefully, scrutinizing her features as if to determine that his words had resonated with her. After a moment he seemed to be satisfied enough to step out of the ring and over to the side lines. “Basic rules tournament rules: step out of bounds and the match is over. Give up or beg for mercy and the match is over. Fall down for a ten count and the match is over. No low blows, biting, eye poking, or hits to the _stomach_.” Kame Sennin took a moment to stare pointedly in Kuririn’s direction upon saying this, a fact that caused Kuririn’s face to brighten with a mixture of shame and confusion. “Ready?” he called out, motioning for Bulma to ready her stopwatch.

Goku fell into a fighting stance, her heart pounding eagerly as Kuririn followed suit, the uncertainty still lingering on his tense body.

“ _Begin_!”

Goku allowed Kuririn to make the first move, a fact that he likely registered as a hesitant look passed over his eyes even as he charged towards her. He leapt upward in order to send his punch sailing towards Goku’s face, but she was able to see the movement and block with ease. Kuririn recovered, sending another dozen or so punches whizzing her way, but Goku was able to stop them all with little effort.

A smile pulled at her lips. It had been so long since she had sparred with someone other than ChiChi. He was talented in many ways, but his combat skills still left much to be desired and whenever she did convince her husband to join her for a match, Goku found herself having to hold back a great deal against him.

Kuririn wasn’t quite at her level either, but he was far more seasoned and had a much better sense for the fighting arts. When he sent a kick sailing towards her, Goku actually felt the muscles in her forearm tense up with the force of the impact.

“You’ve gotten really good, Kuririn,” Goku remarked as Kuririn leapt back in order to purposely put some distance between them. “This feels just like old times.”

“Yeah, and just like old times, you’re going ease on me,” Kuririn observed, a friendly grin lighting his features as he spoke. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve yet to throw a single punch.”

“It’s a bit trickier now,” Goku laughed as she advanced on him, “the height difference has shifted a lot!”

The comment caused the others to erupt with friendly laughter and Kuririn’s face to grow pink with embarrassment, but Goku could only see the disadvantage of fighting a smaller opponent. In the past she had only ever had to contend with battling combatants who were either taller or, less frequently, similar in stature. Yet Kuririn now only came up to the middle of her chest, meaning that she had to keep leaning downward or angling her attacks lower in order to compensate.

Still the truth of Kuririn’s words were there as Goku did have to be mindful to confine herself. She was mindful of Kame Sennin’s warning that this was only to be a light exercise and the rules that he had set did keep things engaging even as she restrained her strength in order to create a more balanced match.

Kuririn gave a kick to her legs, intending to sweep her feet and knock her off balance, but Goku was easily able to jump and avoid the blow. Kuririn’s tactic shifted as he threw a punch to Goku’s cheek, but instead of blocking, she managed to dodge, shifting herself in midair in order to land a firm blow to the small of Kuririn’s back. The blow had been delivered at half strength at best, but it was still enough to send Kuririn crashing face first into the ground.

Goku grinned proudly, the match seemingly hers, but as she landed she found herself having a surprisingly hard time finding her footing. Spending weeks on end bed ridden had taken a bit of a toll on her reflexes, a fact that she had not taken into consideration prior to this match. Kuririn must have noticed this once he recovered himself and leapt at the advantage. He bounced back with a surprising amount of speed and was actually able to land a substantial blow to Goku’s left cheek.

“ _Goku-sa’_!”

ChiChi’s shriek cut through the air like a heated blade and before Goku could even process his sudden reappearance she found herself being lifted clear off the ground and into his arms. “Goku-sa’ what the heck were ya thinkin’? Ya should be in bed restin’ not out here gettin’ thrashed by these brutes!”

Goku suddenly felt dizzy as she processed everything that had transpired. She glanced over at Kuririn whose face was riddle with panic and guilt as the rest of her friends hurried to destroy the evidence of their crime, gathering up their chairs and quickly moving them back into the capsule house.

“ChiChi, what’re you doin’ back so early?” Goku asked, deciding to focus on one matter at a time.

“I came back ta check on ya, an’ it’s a good thing I did.” ChiChi’s face was etched with burning hot anger as he spun on his heels and turned to glare at the others. The polite façade that he had worked so hard to build crumbled at the seams as his anger swelled. Goku had seen ChiChi’s temper flare up before, but never like this. “Jus’ what the heck is wrong with all of ya? Jus’ sittin’ ‘round watchin’ this happen? Ya were supposed ta be watchin’ after Goku-sa’ not lettin’ her put herself in danger.”

“ChiChi-san, let me explain,” Kame Sennin began sheepishly, his bearing surprisingly humble as he spoke. “Goku insisted on exercising and we decided to humor her with a small match in honor of her recovery.”

“I expected better from ya, Muten Roshi-sama,” ChiChi said. His face was still beat red despite his level tone and his hold on Goku seemed unwavering. “An’ the same goes for you, Bulma-sa’.” His dark eyes were flashing as he turned his gaze towards the surprisingly guilt ridden looking Bulma who positively paled at the intensity. “I welcomed all of ya inta my home an’ this is the way ya repay me? First with free loadin’ an’ now with endangerin’ my wife an’ unborn boy? I have half a mind ta send all of ya packin’!”

Panic welled up inside of Goku at the thought of her friends leaving and her mind scrambled to think of some way to derail her husband’s anger. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach and once her fingers brushed against the hard roundness beneath her clothes an idea suddenly came to her.

“Oh!” she said, quietly at first, then louder as she scrunched up her face until it was nearly as red as ChiChi’s and made to curl into herself. “ _Oh_!”

This time her words caught ChiChi’s ear, and all trace of anger began to leave his body as his eyes locked on Goku’s twisted up figure. “Goku-sa’?” he gasped, but Goku kept going.

“Oh, my stomach!” she groaned as pathetically as she could possibly manage while thrashing about in ChiChi’s embrace. “My belly’s hurtin’! I think it’s the baby! He’s… he’s upset.”

ChiChi’s heart was thumping powerfully deep in his chest, his skin shifting from red to ashen white, but the tension that had been filling the field seemed to dissipate. Distantly Goku wondered if her friends had caught on to what she was doing, but she pushed the thought aside as she focused on drawing ChiChi’s attention away from the others.

“Goku-sa’?” ChiChi began softly, fear coloring his words as his fingers trembled against her. “Y-ya can feel the baby?”

She kept her features pinched as she nodded tightly in response. “I…I think all your yellin’s scarin’ him,” she told him, instantly feeling guilty for lying to her husband, but she reasoned it was for a good cause. If her friends left then she would be trapped inside with nothing to do all day while ChiChi worked in the field. The thought of being stuck doing house work from sunrise to sunset made her feel sad and sleep and she just couldn’t bare it.

ChiChi seemed to buy into her words as he gently lowered Goku to the ground. Once Goku was standing on her own two feet again ChiChi kneeled down in front of her, his large hands lingering at her side as he fixed his gaze on her belly. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, baby. Yer Pa didn’t mean ta scare ya.”

A pointed hush fell across the yard as the others all seemed to hold their breath in anticipation of what would happen next. Goku glanced at her friends and saw the mix of worry and confusion drawing their faces and decided to power on. She placed a hand on her stomach and began to rub in exaggerated circles at the swell hidden beneath her belt. “I think he’s much calmer now,” Goku assured ChiChi. “Just hungry. We ain’t had any breakfast yet.”

“B-breakfast sounds like a great idea!” Bulma put in quickly, seeming to catch on instantly. “In fact, I was just about to fix us all some pancakes and eggs!”

“That sounds delightful,” Kame Sennin said merrily. “I think I’ll brew another pot of coffee while we wait.”

“I could use another cup!” Oolong agreed as he showed off his half empty mug before piling back inside along with the others.

Soon Goku and ChiChi were left alone in the yard and Goku was relieved to see that the anger had all but evaporated from her husband’s face. Yet the look of fear still lingered on his features and Goku didn’t like that at all. She smiled down reassuringly at him as she offered ChiChi her hand in order to help him back to his feet. “I’m sorry we messed up the yard, ChiChi,” she said.

“Goku-sa’,” he sighed his words tight and measured as he spoke. “It ain’t the yard I’m worried ‘bout.”

“I know,” she said, feeling more than a bit guilty as she stood before him. They weren’t that far apart in height, ChiChi only having a few inches over her, but she still had to tilt her head in order to meet his gaze and in that moment she felt very much like a child being scolded. “But I was feelin’ so good today. I’ve been feelin’ lousy for so long I guess I just got carried away.”

ChiChi took in a long deep breath through his nose before letting it out through his mouth. He shook his head and placed his hands on his hips, likely doing his best to work out just what he wanted to say without raising his voice. “Ya hafta be more careful, Goku-sa’,” he told her as evenly as he could manage. “Yer body ain’t jus’ yer body any more. For the next eight months or so, it belongs ta the baby too. Ya can’t be fightin’ or carryin’ on with yer friends like ya used ta, cause when ya do reckless things like that it puts our boy in danger. Ya understand that, don’cha?”

Goku shifted and rubbed at the back of her neck. She had a strong feeling this would not be the last time she heard this speech from ChiChi or anyone else. “I know, ChiChi,” she told him. “I’ll be more careful next time.”


	6. Discovery

“The money we made in the market will be more than enough ta fix up the baby’s room,” ChiChi said proudly as he cradled Goku’s hand in his tight grip. “An’ I jus’ know that when the winter crops come in, we’ll make even more!”

Goku nodded even though she still didn’t quite understand how money worked. She only knew that ChiChi had made a lot of it with his farm and that had made him very happy and she liked when he was happy. When ChiChi was happy he smiled a lot and stood up straight with his hands on his waist, emphasizing his broad chest and narrow middle. Happy looked good on him. “That’s good, ChiChi,” she told him sincerely. “I bet your daddy’ll be real happy when you tell him.”

His smile widened at her comment and Goku felt good knowing that she had said the right thing. 

A determined gleam flashed in ChiChi’s eyes as he gave her fingers a tender squeeze. “I’m gonna plant a whole bunch of greens next,” he told her proudly. “There’ll be plenty of spinach an’ lettuce an’ bok choy. Maybe I’ll even make a small patch that’ll be jus’ for ya an’ the baby. Greens are good for babies.”

“While you’re planning your shopping list, be sure you’ll have enough money left over to pay the doctor,” Bulma said pointedly as she flicked her magazine to the next page, a gesture that caused ChiChi’s smile to melt away.

It was their second visit to the baby doctor and Goku was excited because Bulma told them that today they should be able to see the baby and hear its heart beat. Goku’s belly had gotten a lot bigger over the last few weeks and suddenly the idea of having something living inside her stomach seemed less impossible as she watched it grow.

When she had put on her gi this morning (without the weighted clothes of course since ChiChi wasn’t letting her wear those anymore) she had instantly noticed how much tighter everything felt. The elastic band around her pants was stretched nearly to its limit and while her top was loose enough to conceal her expanding middle, it didn’t feel as roomy as usual when tucked in. Even the tips of her belt didn’t hang quite so low when tied around her waist, dangling just below the hem of her pants instead of falling to her hips the way they used to.

A sigh escaped Goku’s lips as she touched a hand to her bare wrists. ChiChi still wouldn’t let her exercise and after what happened last month, no one was willing to spar with her anymore and that made her sad. It had become clear that everyone was too afraid of ChiChi to help her exercise, so Goku had decided to take matters into her own hands. In the wee hours of the morning, before the sun even had a chance to come up, Goku would sneak out of the house and do light training deep in the woods. It wasn’t very effective, without her weights or someone to practice with there wasn’t much challenge to be found, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing all day. 

Goku shifted on the exam table, her movements causing the paper beneath her to crinkle in response. She was eager to see the baby to make sure that it was still okay and not hurt from her secret training. She was always careful not to tire herself out too much after she exercised, but Bulma and ChiChi’s fretting was starting to get to her and even if Goku didn’t really like being pregnant or fully understand what it all meant, the last thing she wanted was to hurt the baby.

“Don’t worry, Bulma-sa’, everythin’ll be jus’ fine,” ChiChi assured her tightly. He had gone back to being polite to Goku’s friends again, still shaken up by the idea that his yelling might set off the baby, and while Goku felt bad for fibbing she felt secure knowing that her friends weren’t in danger of being kicked out of their house. “Maybe ya should jus’ sit in the waitin’ room. I’m sure ya’d be more comfortable there.”

“I’m just fine here,” Bulma returned with a broad smile. “Besides, I’m not going to miss out on seeing Son-kun’s baby for the first time.” She chuckled smugly to herself. “The others will be so jealous!”

ChiChi looked as if he wanted to say more, but whatever words were forming in his throat were quickly swallowed up when the door to the room opened up and the Baby Doctor entered. She was wearing the white coat that reminded Goku of Bulma’s daddy and holding a clipboard like the Announcer Guy from the tournament. The Baby Doctor had dark brown hair that she kept in a loose ponytail and a soft smile that set easily on her gentle features. 

“Well, if it isn’t the young couple from the mountains,” she greeted pleasantly. “How are we doing today?” 

“We’re right excited about seein’ our baby, Doctor,” ChiChi said enthusiastically as he squeezed Goku’s hand once again.

“That’s nice to hear,” the Baby Doctor grinned before turning her attention towards Bulma. Her soft smile never wavered, but her eyebrows did arch curiously as she watched Bulma continue to thumb through her magazine. “And I see our guest is back again.” 

Bulma looked up then, acknowledging the comment with a distant grin. “I’m just here to translate the big words,” she explained, before going back to her reading. 

“I see,” she said thoughtfully, “well if Goku-san doesn’t mind, I’m sure it’ll be just fine.”

“Actually, I-”

“I don’t mind none,” Goku answered automatically, her words unintentionally overlapping with ChiChi’s, but from the pleasant look on the Baby Doctor’s face it didn’t seem to be a problem. “Are we really gonna see the baby today?”

The Baby Doctor chuckled pleasantly at the question as her eyes scanned her clipboard. “Yes, it looks like you are due for an ultra sound today. It won’t give us a crystal clear picture of the baby, but it will make a black and white image on that little TV over there that will give me an idea of how your baby’s growing.”

Goku smiled at that. She liked the Baby Doctor and how she always seemed to know just how to explain things to her. She never seemed to think anything Goku said was silly or lost her patience when she asked questions and she always agreed with Goku’s suggestions. It made things feel a bit more even when ChiChi and Bulma seemed to want to team up against her.

“First, Goku-san, I’ll need to take some measurements to check your development before we get started,” she explained as she directed Goku to lie down on her back.

“Do you think we’ll be able to see if the baby will be a boy or a girl?” Bulma asked as she put her magazine aside, her interest having been piqued.

“Well, it might be a bit too early for that,” the Doctor chuckled as Goku lay down against the crinkly paper spread out on the table. The doctor untied Goku’s belt with skilled hands before gently rolling up the rough fabric of her gi. She chuckled when her eyes landed on Goku’s wide middle. “Well, I see you’ve regained your appetite, Goku-san. Have you been eating well?”

“Like a pregnant horse, Doctor,” ChiChi told her wearily. “Sometimes I think she’s eatin’ ta make up for all the food she didn’ get during her first trimester.”

The Baby Doctor chuckled as she reached into her lab coat in order to produce a plastic strip with little lines on it. “Actually, ChiChi-san, according to my chart Goku-san is still in her first trimester, but a little fluctuation in weight is …” Her words trailed off as she pressed her plastic strip against Goku’s stomach, her gentle fingers applying a light touch of pressure to Goku’s skin as if to test the firmness. She hummed thoughtfully before grabbing her clipboard and looking over something. “You seem to be a bit… _bigger_ than I would have guessed.”

“See, Son-kun? I told you that you were eating too much!”

For the first time Goku actually found herself feeling sheepish about her eating habits as the Doctor continued to hum and write things done with a pointedly serious expression on her face. Eating until her belly was plump and full had always come naturally to her and after having no appetite for weeks, Goku had found that her tongue had regained new appreciation of all the food that ChiChi and Lunch (and occasionally Bulma) would prepare for her. Yet as she laid there and watched the concerned look linger on the Baby Doctor’s features she wondered if she had done something to hear her baby.

“Is the baby okay, Doctor?” Goku asked.

Whatever thought the Doctor had been drifting through suddenly dissolved as the woman snapped herself back to the present. “Don’t worry, Goku-san. It’s fine, just fine,” she assured her, patting her shoulder and smiling in a way that didn’t quite suit her features.

Goku couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off and reasoned that ChiChi had sensed it as well as he placed a reassuring hand at Goku’s side as the Baby Doctor busied herself with pressing buttons and preparing the little TV to show their baby. She grabbed a tube and smeared a clear jelly on Goku’s stomach. It was cold and made Goku flinch when it landed on her skin, but the Doctor’s calm demeanor had returned and when she told Goku it was okay she believed her.

“Now, let’s take a look at your little one,” she said brightly as she flicked a few switches and turned on the TV screen. 

Bulma stood from her seat and walked over to them, squeezing her way in as close as she could manage in order to get a better view. She and ChiChi were practically leaning over Goku when the Baby Doctor pulled out a thick plastic stick and pressed it on top of her belly. An image appeared on screen and just as the doctor had warned it was gray and blurry, but from the way Bulma and ChiChi oohed and awed there was something important to be seen.

“Oh look! There he is!” ChiChi gasped, his voice growing watery as his hand pressed down on Goku’s side. She could feel something to his touch, something firm and unfamiliar as his dark eyes locked onto the screen with kind of intensity he had never shown before.

“Where?” Goku asked shifting slightly in order to get a better look at the screen. She couldn’t really make out a baby, just a lot of gray and black. “Where is it?”

“Right in front of you!” Bulma laughed as she stretched her arm over Goku and towards the TV. “That’s the head, see?” Bulma’s finger motioned towards a big blobby circle that was slightly over to the right side of the screen before drifting towards a weird shaped lump connecting to it. “And that’s the body. And over there,” she pointed to something sticking out from the upper part of the lump, “that’s an arm I think.”

Goku squinted her eyes and shifted closer to the screen. The image was starting to come together, her eyes slowly adjusting to the gray and black in order to see more details. The more she stared the more she could make out. Suddenly the outline of a nose was apparent and just below a curve of an upper lip, and the hand Bulma had pointed at looked like it had a few fingers. “I see it! I see it!” she cheered proudly. “Wow! The baby sure is big.”

“Yes… big…”

Goku turned to look at the Baby Doctor then and found that the woman’s skin had grown positively ashen as her too wide eyes studied the screen. A funny feeling curled up in Goku’s chest as the Doctor fumbled with her tools. The image that had previously been flickering and swishing on the screen suddenly froze as the Doctor got up with a quick “excuse me” before hurrying out of the room.

“What d’ya think that was about?” ChiChi muttered, his hand never leaving Goku’s side as he stared after the doctor. 

Bulma hummed and stepped around the table in order to take a better look at the screen. She frowned, leaning in so close that her nose nearly brushed against the glass, before her eyes suddenly widened and she snapped upright. “Oh no,” she muttered, just as the Doctor came rushing back in.

Goku’s chest was tight as two more doctors came in behind the Baby Doctor, one an older man with thinning hair and the other a heavy set woman with skinny arms. The Baby Doctor stood in front of the monitor and waved at the frozen image. “What do you see here?” she asked the two newcomers and Goku could already see panic flashing through Bulma’s eyes as ChiChi’s brow knitted with worry.

The man was the first one to speak, an amused grin pulling at his lips. “I’d say that was a perfectly healthy, fifteen week old fetus,” he declared confidently.

The Baby Doctor grimaced as the other lady nodded in agreement. Clearly she had expected the answer and didn’t like it one bit. “What if I were to tell you this woman was only ten weeks pregnant?”

The older man sputtered as the heavyset woman chuckled awkwardly. “Well, that certainly is… odd.”

“Odd to say the least,” the Baby Doctor went on before pointing a finger to the TV once again. “And what would you say this could be?”

A collective hush fell over the room as the Doctor pointed to something just below the baby. It was long and thin and seemed to be curled ever so slightly by its feet. “The umbilical cord?” the older man guessed feebly.

“The umbilical cord is up there,” the heavy set woman said, pointing above the baby’s stomach. “That… that looks more like… something unusual.”

*

“A _tail_?”

Bulma nodded solemnly as she swallowed her drink. It was her third beer, but the unease that had found its way into the pit of her stomach was still there, coiling and circling as horrific possibilities floated in and out of her mind. The ultra sound image was still there when she closed her eyes, the all too obvious tail lingering and taunting her with its existence. She shuddered and took another swig before speaking. 

“Yes, a tail,” she said at last. “The baby has a tail.”

A mixture of worry had spread across the room at the news. Kuririn’s face broke out in panicked sweats as Kame Sennin’s jaw set in a somber grimace. Yamucha shuddered, his eyes racing with likely the same images passing through Bulma’s mind, as Pu’ar trembled, and Oolong looked ready to run. Only Tenshinhan and Chaozu (as well as Lunch who, while still in her blonde state, had become less angry in the last few days) seemed to be at a loss as to what had caused such a strong reaction in the others. 

“This… this is terrible,” Kuririn shuddered, his hands balling into fists as he resisted the urge to pound at the dinner table they had gathered around. “Goku you idiot! You’ve put us in danger!”

“C’mon, Kuririn! She doesn’t know better,” Yamucha put in quickly, but Bulma could see from the way his own fingers were trembling that given the opportunity he would have said the same thing. “Besides, we all should have known this was a possibility from the moment we found out about the baby.”

“I don’t quite see the harm,” Tenshinhan said at last. “Son had a tail when I first met her. It only seems reasonable that her child would have one as well.”

“That’s true enough,” Pu’ar said fretfully, his words coming out somewhat uneven as he continued to shake with fear, “but it’s what the tail means that’s the trouble.”

The lost look lingered on Tenshinhan’s features, so Bulma decided to take it upon herself to elaborate. “When Son-kun has a tail she’s a danger at night,” she told him. “Whenever she looks at a full moon she loses control of herself and transforms into a Great Ape.”

Lunch sputtered and choked on her drink as Tenshinhan’s eyes widened and Chaozu’s jaw grew slack. “So that’s what Son meant when she said that Kami-sama had removed her tail in order to restore the moon,” Tenshinhan concluded. 

“And if Goku’s baby has a tail, does that mean he could transform as well?” Chaozu asked.

“We could only assume so,” Bulma sighed morosely.

“Well then her gettin’ pregnant was more than a little reckless!” Lunch snapped, her fist clenching down on her half empty beer can as she spoke. Foam sprouted from the mouth of the container and slushed over her finger tips as she continued to shake and seethe with anger. “How could you’ve let this happen knowin’ it was a possibility?”

“I wasn’t responsible for any of this!” Bulma snapped defensively. “Besides, what were we supposed to do? Have her _fixed_?”

“What’s done is done,” Kame Sennin concluded solemnly. “Goku’s child has already been conceived and it’s not our place to get in the way of her happiness.”

“Maybe we should have a talk with ChiChi?” Yamucha ventured. “It’s his child too after all.”

“You mean he doesn’t know?” Tenshinhan frowned.

“No, he never saw her transform,” Yamucha explained. “Even Goku isn’t fully aware of what her tail was able to do.”

“Then if we tell him, it might change things between them,” Tenshinhan reasoned. “Learning that your wife and child can turn into monsters in the moonlight would be a lot for any man to handle.”

Silence fell on the temporary home as the group quietly weighed their options. Not for the first time Bulma regretted tagging along to Goku’s ultrasound. What had started out as an amusing little trip had turned into a hassle and Bulma hadn’t even brought up the fact that it seemed Goku’s pregnancy was progressing abnormally fast. That would be another problem they’d have to deal with eventually. She sighed and grabbed another beer from across the table.

“Well, if we do tell him, Bulma-san should be the one to deliver the news,” Kuririn said at last.

Bulma choked and felt her nostrils burn as the beer rushed upwards and out of her nose. She coughed, swallowed what little beer remained in her mouth, and gave her chest a quick pound. “What do you mean by that?” Bulma snapped roughly, having to contain the volume of her voice in order to compensate for the burning sensation in her throat. 

“He means that you’ve been butting into their relationship often enough as it is, one more time wouldn’t hurt,” Oolong summed up and Bulma decided that his smug tone was as good of an excuse as any to smack him on the back of his head.

“Oolong has a point,” Kame Sennin put in, his voice holding no humor or mirth and Bulma felt her stomach sink. “You don’t have to break the news right away. Let Goku and ChiChi have their moment of peace first.”

Dread curled up inside of her as Bulma gazed around the room and saw her friends all nodding in agreement. Bulma groaned quietly and wonder just how it was she always seemed to get stuck in these situations. 

*

“I think we might hafta find a new doctor for ya, Goku-sa’,” ChiChi sighed wearily as he looked at the ultrasound print outs Bulma had made for them. “I doubt we’ll be able ta go ta that office again after today.”

Loathe as he was to admit it, Bulma tagging along had turned out to be a small blessing. When the obstetrician had caught a glimpse of the baby’s tail during the ultrasound the appointment had been completely derailed. Their obstetrician and the other doctors had all started talking about what a discovery their baby was and how they wanted to publish articles on them. ChiChi hated to think what could have happened had Bulma not been there to write that huge check in order to buy their silence and all of their equipment just for good measure. 

“Aw, I’m gonna miss our old baby doctor,” Goku lamented as she sorted through the pile of clothes spread out across the table. “She was nice.”

“She was plenty nice alright,” ChiChi agreed distantly, “but with the fuss she made over the baby’s tail…”

His eyes traced the outline of their child against the field of black on the printout. The tail hadn’t been the thing to catch ChiChi’s attention. He remembered clearly the monkey like tail Goku had sported as a child, because a feature like that wasn’t easy to forget and even if Goku’s tail was missing now a part of him had suspected that it would show up in any child they had. What troubled him was when the obstetrician had said their child was five weeks bigger than he should be. A part of him wondered if Goku had been eating too much, but the thought was instantly pushed away when he remembered how horribly sick she had been for the first month or so of the pregnancy. Any food she took in now had to be making up for the nutrition she lost during that time.

He hummed as he walked over to the bookshelf where Bulma had placed a few of the baby books she had been reading to Goku and grabbed the nearest one. Flipping through the pages he determined that if Goku were at ten weeks, she should still be at the end of her first trimester, but the doctors had said that the baby looked fifteen weeks, which would be the beginning of the second. The book described a ten week old fetus as being the size of a kumquat while fifteen week old fetus was around the size of an apple. That would explain why Goku’s stomach had gotten so full so quickly. He had just thought it was natural progression, yet maybe there was more to it.

His head throbbed as he struggled to understand what could have happened. ChiChi had never put too much thought into who or what Goku was before. Her immense strength and seemingly boundless energy had always just been parts of who she was, features that made her distinctly Goku, but now ChiChi was starting to wonder if there was more to it than that.

_What if Goku-sa’ ain’t who I thought she was? What if she ain’_ what _I thought she was?_ His hands began to tremble as he felt his grip waver on the book’s soft binding. _She’s always been strong, but at the tournament she did some impossible things. She went toe ta toe with Piccolo Daimao an’ he’s a demon. So what does that make Goku-sa’? What does that mean for the baby?_

The world began to feel a bit unsteady as the full impact of those thoughts pressed in on him. Goku had never talked to him much about her past. She had no family to speak of aside from her grandfather, whom ChiChi had only recently learned had found Goku in the woods and wasn’t related by blood, which meant that Goku could have come from anywhere or be anything.

Closing the book firmly ChiChi screwed his eyes shut and pushed the concept away. The ground still felt uneven as he returned the baby book to its place on the shelf before walking to Goku’s side. Her hands were in the middle of folding a towel in half when he gently grabbed her by her shoulders and pressed their bodies together. She went into his embrace stiffly at first, completely caught off guard by the sudden gesture, and Goku wouldn’t have been Goku if she didn’t squirm a bit before settling against him. 

“You feelin’ alright, ChiChi?” Goku asked curiously and ChiChi just chuckled in response. 

Somehow the world felt steadier with Goku in his arms. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the top of her head, breathing in the scent of the wind and sunshine that always seemed to cling to her. He could feel the swell of her stomach between them, slight yet firm and warm and perfect. “Sorry, Goku-sa’,” he said after a moment. “I just wanted ta hold ya, that’s all.”

_Goku-sa’s my wife, an’ the baby’s my baby. Nothin’s gonna change that. Nothin’ else matters._

A pleasant warmth spread through him as Goku’s hands found their way around his waist, her hold lax, but there as she settled her own cheek against his shoulder. “You sure are strange sometimes, ChiChi,” Goku told him good naturedly.

ChiChi laughed and pressed a quick kiss to the top of Goku’s head. “Goku-sa’ I’m gonna fix ya somethin’ real good ta eat for dinner. Somethin’ special jus’ for ya an’ the baby.”

The pure happiness that the mere mention of food always brought in Goku was apparent as she practically bounced in place at the announcement. “That sounds good,” she said, rubbing the top of her stomach enthusiastically. “The baby really likes your cookin’, ChiChi.”

“Ya think so?”

Goku nodded as she took a step back in order to allow ChiChi to get a better look at her stomach. Her smile was surprisingly tender as she placed her hands on either side of her belly, cradling the slight swell proudly in her strong grasp. “My stomach gets all fluttery whenever you’re cookin’. I think it’s the baby.”

ChiChi smiled as he gazed at Goku’s hands. Somehow he could imagine their child just beneath her skin, curled up safe and sound and listening to their conversation. Whatever their baby was ChiChi knew that he was nothing short of a miracle.


	7. Twilight

Winter was drawing to an end, although in this part of the world it was difficult to tell. Dawn was still hours away and the night air in Mount Paozu had finally dropped low enough to create something of a chill. Yet still Tenshinhan could feel a shift in the weather, one that would lead to heavy rains and longer days in only a matter of weeks.

His keen eyes roamed along the dense forest searching for any sign of movement in the darkness only to find stillness all around him. The others had told him that this was the place where Son Goku had grown up, that this secluded wilderness had been all she had known for the first twelve years of her life and seeing this world with his own eyes answered so many questions he had upon meeting the fellow martial artist.

Tenshinhan stiffened momentarily as an immense ki suddenly reached his senses. He had thought for certain that given the early hour he would be secluded in the predawn wilderness, but clearly someone else had decided to go for an early morning stroll. 

“Up here, Tenshinhan!” a voice called out from high above and Tenshinhan felt himself relax, realizing that the aura was a familiar one.

The starlight was starting to fade as the sun began to make its presence known, but there was just enough light around him that he was able to gleam the outline of a figure perched high above him. Raising his ki slightly, Tenshinhan lifted himself into the air. The plant life in Mount Paozu seemed to grow wild and free in this nearly untouched world, the trees in particular were quite sturdy and stretch high into the sky above. The forest floor was almost hard to see by the time he had reached the branch where Son Goku was currently perched. 

“Mornin’,” Goku greeted cheerfully as she shifted in order to make room for Tenshinhan. “You’re up early. Did’ja come to watch the sunrise?”

“Not exactly,” Tenshinhan said as he hovered awkwardly in front of her. The branch she was sitting on was wide and seemed stable enough to be able to support their combined weight, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward at the thought of sitting so intimately with another man’s wife. He forced the idea from his mind and reminded himself that this was only Son, a fellow warrior that he had known and fought against, before taking a seat beside her. Somehow a blush still made its way onto his cheeks and Tenshinhan found that he had to clear his throat a few times before it would go away. “When Kuririn told Chaozu and I about this gathering, he said that we would be here to protect you from Piccolo Daimao’s son,” Tenshinhan explained at last. “It’s been a few months now and it seems that everyone has all but forgotten that task. I decided to start doing a dawn patrol just in case Piccolo was indeed lurking about somewhere.”

Goku hummed and leaned back comfortably against the tree, lifting her left leg causally in order to better situate herself. She seemed to have all the faith in the world that the branch would maintain its integrity and Tenshinhan reasoned that she knew this tree, and the rest of the forest, better than most knew the back of their hand. Her hands settled against the swell of her stomach and Tenshinhan found his eyes flickering away to face the horizon. They were just high enough to peer at the tops of the other trees and make out the night sky. The stars were growing dim as the sky slowly lightened, yet the orange glow of the sun had yet to touch the horizon. He had to wonder just how many nights Goku had spent out here like this in her youth.

“I don’t really think we need to worry about Piccolo,” she said at length, her voice soft and without a hint of uncertainty. “It’ll be a few years yet before he shows up again.”

Despite his initial reluctance, Tenshinhan found his gaze drifting back in Goku’s direction. She had that gleam in her eyes, the she only got when budo was involved and Tenshinhan suddenly felt a bit more at ease in her company. “What makes you so certain?”

A smug, humorless smirk curled her lips at the question. “Piccolo, this new Piccolo that is, he’s different from me in a lotta ways, but he’s a fighter like the rest of us. He ain’t reckless. He’s a planner an’ right now he’s probably trainin’ in order to figure out some powerful new technique to take me down.”

Tenshinhan frowned, torn between accepting Goku’s words as gospel and the sour feeling in his gut that said something terrible would happen. He reasoned that Goku probably understood this new Piccolo better than anyone else, but Goku also had a dangerous habit of being woefully naïve and often gave her trust far too easily. “If that’s how you really feel,” Tenshinhan said slowly, “then why not tell the others?”

Goku chuckled, the hardened gleam of a seasoned warrior fading away as a sheepish look settled on her features. “Well if I did that, then ChiChi would make everyone leave,” she confessed. “It’s been nice havin’ everyone ‘round.”

Tenshinhan laughed despite himself at that. Never would he have pegged Son Goku as the lonely sort. 

A gentle breeze passed through the trees, causing the leaves to rustle pleasantly around them, and Tenshinhan actually found himself rubbing at his arms to erase the chill. It had been sometime since he had stayed extensively in one spot and he was starting to get comfortable in the Mountain’s warm climate. 

From his peripheral vision, he caught the slight movement of Goku’s hands, her deft fingers caressing her stomach with surprising care and again Tenshinhan felt himself stiffening. It was awkward for him to see Goku this way. Children were a foreign thing in Tenshinhan’s world as were the ideas of home and family and he had always thought the same would apply to others who lived in the world of the martial arts. Yet Goku had gone and gotten married, was starting a family, and suddenly his rival was disappearing from the familiar world of budo into a strange new one.

“Is it… did the baby wake you?” Tenshinhan said as conversationally as he could manage. He hoped that his hesitance wasn’t too apparent in his words. The last thing he wanted was for Goku to know how confusing it was for him to look at her. “Is that why you’re up?”

“Not exactly,” Goku returned as a cheeky smile pulled at her lips, making it clear that she was parroting Tenshinhan’s words from earlier. “Don’t tell no one, but I’ve been doin’ a bit of trainin’ myself.” His brows arched at the comment and from her broad grin Tenshinhan could see that Goku was pleased with this reaction. “ChiChi doesn’t want me to, but I jus’ can’t sit ‘round doin’ nothin’. So I’ve been getting’ up early an’ comin’ out to do some light workouts early in the mornin’.” She sighed, her hands patting her stomach pointedly as she slumped back against the sturdy bark. “But the baby’s gettin’ bigger an’ movin’ ‘round more. It’s distractin’.”

“I didn’t think it was like you, to quit training that is,” Tenshinhan explained. “Bulma and Lunch keep talking about how you’ll have to give up martial arts. I was starting to believe it was true.” 

The cheer disappeared from Goku’s face, her features deflating like air being let out of a balloon and Tenshinhan wondered if he had misspoke. “ChiChi always says he wants me ta be a housewife,” Goku said flatly, her eyes drifting down to the swell of her middle as she spoke. Despite his best efforts he found his gaze kept drifting to her abdomen. Goku’s stomach had gotten quite round over the last few months and was starting to resemble the shape of a volleyball sliced in half. He didn’t know much about pregnancy, but Tenshinhan knew that in time her stomach would get even bigger and he imagined soon Goku wouldn’t be able to move around much at all. “He says when the baby comes he’ll need me a lot an’ I can’t be off trainin’ an’ stuff. He doesn’t even want me teachin’ the baby ta fight when he gets big either. ChiChi says he wants to make him a scholar.”

Tenshinhan frowned. He couldn’t see Goku that way, in front of a stove day and night, fussing over a helpless infant at all hours… It wasn’t befitting of one of the most talented warriors he had ever fought. “Is that… is that what you want?”

Goku was silent for a moment, her frown deepening with thought as she chewed at her bottom lip and continued to rub at her stomach. She seemed to be considering a dozen or so things in order to answer Tenshinhan’s question. At last she shook her head and gave a very firm, flat, “No.”

“Have you told him that?” Tenshinhan ventured carefully. He knew that this wasn’t his place to enter, because this was Goku’s marriage and he knew as little about romance as he did children, yet he could tell that Goku was unhappy and that more than anything drew his interest. “It’s not like you to keep anything inside.”

“I know, but…” She frowned and shook her head. “Bein’ married is tricky,” she confessed at last. “I like ChiChi a lot, he’s smart an’ nice an’ he works really hard, but sometimes it feels like everything is his way.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,” he found himself saying and then instantly regretted it. He had a feeling he was poking holes where he shouldn’t, but he also had a feeling this was something Goku needed to talk about. Tenshinhan wished that someone else were here in his place, someone better for Goku to talk to, like Yamucha or Bulma or maybe even Kuririn, but at the moment Goku only had him and they both had to just make due. “Have you told him how you feel?”

“No,” Goku said again, her voice still flat and far too quiet. “I guess… I dunno. I guess sometimes I feel kinda bad thinkin’ like that. ChiChi’s way out here ‘cause of me. He’s away from his daddy an’ his home ‘cause I didn’t wanna live there an’ he’s doin’ all that farmin’ ‘cause he didn’t wanna take money from his daddy an’ he thinks he needs that money for me. I feel bad. Like I’m makin’ him do things he doesn’t wanna do, so I do things I don’t wanna do, because maybe that’s fair.”

“I see,” he said even though he really didn’t. “It does sound tricky.” Tenshinhan shifted as he tried to figure out what to say next, because Goku didn’t look like she felt any better, if anything she seemed to feel worse and that wasn’t right at all. “Do you… do you regret it?” he asked, not sure if he was referring to the marriage or the pregnancy, but was mildly surprised when Goku instantly began to shake her head.

“It ain’t always so tough,” Goku told him sincerely, “ChiChi’s a really good cook an’ even if he can’t fight he’s good at a lot of other stuff. ‘Sides I want this baby.” She smiled then, one that was surprisingly tender and, if Tenshinhan were forced to put it that way he would even call it somewhat motherly, as she stroked the top of her stomach. “I was kinda scared at first; the idea of somethin’ growin’ inside of me was jus’ too weird not to get scared of, but… Well… All my life, I’ve always been different from everyone else an’ for a long time I didn’t mind. Then I found out about the baby an’ I realized there’d be someone else jus’ like me. I never had that before. I want that.”

Tenshinhan stayed silent, because he reasoned that would be the best option. Goku’s words, while surprising, made a lot of sense. He knew what it was like to feel out of place and different, but he had never considered that Goku would share those feelings. Goku had always seemed the simple sort, blissfully so, and a part of him still doubted that she fully grasped exactly she was getting herself into, but he guessed that feeling lonely was a decent enough reason to start a family.

The first slivers of dawn were clawing its way up the horizon and Tenshinhan suddenly realized that morning was approaching. Goku straightened herself as she swung her leg over to the other side of the branch in order to sit upright once more. “It’s gettin’ late,” she said as she frowned ruefully at the slowly rising sun. “ChiChi’ll be gettin’ up soon.”

“Let’s head back,” Tenshinhan said, pushing himself off of the branch and hovering gently in the air. “You must be tired, I’ll help you down.”

Goku looked at his outstretched arm quizzically for a moment, studying it as if to gauge whether or not Tenshinhan was kidding, and after a minute she threw her head back and laughed. “That’s okay, I’m fine,” she chuckled as she got to her feet with surprising ease considering her size. “I climbed up here on my own an’ I can get down on my own.”

_Climbed?_ The word barely had time to register in his mind before Goku leapt from the tree branch and into the air. He thought for certain her intent was to jump clear down to the ground, but found instead she had propelled herself to the tree just opposite the one they had been lounging in. Tenshinhan watched slack jawed as her feet planted firmly on the bark just long enough for her to propel herself off once more, ricocheting from tree to tree that way until she landed back on the dew soaked earth below with only a slight thud. The thought that she was able to move so nimbly while visibly pregnant was enough to make Tenshinhan’s insides tremble. Yet when he touched down on the ground himself he noticed the way she wobbled slightly in order to regain her footing. 

“Sure enough, the baby’s gettin’ too big,” Goku chuckled when she finally found her center and balanced herself once more. She laughed gleefully as she gave her stomach a quick pat in order to emphasize her point, and Tenshinhan found his cheeks growing warm as he avert his gaze. 

Tenshinhan cleared his throat pointedly and motioned for them to head onward. The forest had grown silent as morning slowly made its appearance. The owls had fallen quiet as they found their way back to their burrows and the crickets had long since stopped their chirping. Despite her growing size Goku managed to step silently over the fallen twigs and damp leaves, but still Tenshinhan found his eyes periodically shifting her way as he readied himself to catch her in case she should stumble over her own feet. 

The silence between them was calm and comfortable, because Tenshinhan enjoyed quiet and stillness. He smiled wistfully up at the sliver of sky that peeked out from between the tangle of branches overhead. The stars had all but disappeared and the world above was looking more like dawn with each passing step. A part of him wanted to believe Goku’s suggestion that out in the mountains they would be safe, yet the inkling of danger still brushed at the back of his mind.

“You’re too tense,” Goku chided lightly. Tenshinhan frowned and looked down at her, only for Goku to smirk up at him knowingly. “I keep tellin’ you, nothin’s gonna happen. Piccolo ain’t here.”

“That may be the case, but I can’t shake the feeling that I should be on the alert.”

A thoughtful hum escaped her and soon melted into a weary yawn as Goku stretched her arms high above her head as the energy slowly seemed to drain from her. Tenshinhan had to wonder just how long Goku had been out there doing her “light training” as she called it. Knowing Son, she likely had been beating herself up for hours before he had stumbled across her. “I suppose those are just instincts ya can’t shake,” she reasoned as she rubbed sleepily at her eyes.

A slight bristle ran through him at the comment and for a moment Tenshinhan wondered if Goku was referring to his former ambitions to become an assassin, but quickly pushed the thought aside. Goku may have been brash and tactless, but she wasn’t one to dwell on the past. “I suppose so,” he said eventually in order to fill the air.

“You know Tenshinhan, you can stay out here as long as you want,” Goku offered. “There’s plenty of space an’ you can get some good trainin’ done out here in the woods.”

Tenshinhan laughed lightly at the suggestion. “I suppose you’d want me to become a farmer like your husband?” He shook his head at the image. “I’m afraid I’m not cut out for that sort of life. Staying put in one place and planting roots just isn’t my style.”

“I woulda said the same thing a year ago, but it ain’t so bad,” Goku countered. “’Specially if you’re married. When there’s someone to come back to, it makes the idea of stickin’ ‘round that much easier.” Goku hummed thoughtfully as she considered something, rubbing her stomach and frowning lightly in concentration. “Maybe you should marry Lunch! I bet she’d be a good wife for you.”

The flush that rose to his cheeks was sudden and Tenshinhan cursed the growing daylight as he silently prayed Goku did not notice the way his face burned. “I… well…” he stammered awkwardly. “I don’t think Lunch is really my type.”

“You don’t think so?” Goku pushed, once again oblivious to what was right in front of her. “Half of her is really sweet an’ nice an’ the other half is really keen on you.”

His throat tightened at Goku’s words and for a moment Tenshinhan was tempted to take to the air in order to escape the uncomfortable turn their conversation had taken. “Well… I just don’t think I’m the marriage type,” he said after a time. “Budo is my world. It’s where I’m most comfortable.”

Goku hummed and crossed her hands behind her head. She lifted her gaze upwards as if to inspect the sky above them. “Bein’ comfortable is fine, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with tryin’ somethin’ new. New things ain’t always scary-”

“I’m not scared,” Tenshinhan said quickly, but Goku seemed to continue on unaware.

“-sometimes new things can be fun an’ excitin’.”

Tenshinhan frowned and suddenly wished that Goku would go away so he could put an end to their conversation. Yet his salvation came when the tree line began to thin and their houses appeared in view. “I don’t see any lights,” Tenshinhan announced in order to distract Son and bring her train of thought down a new path. “The others must be still asleep.”

Goku let out a relieved sigh at the sight as she quickened her pace slightly. “That means there’s still time to sneak back inside,” she whispered as she darted towards her home. “Thanks for keepin’ me company! See ya at breakfast, Tenshinhan.”

A weight seemed to lift off his chest as he watched Goku jog over to her home, creeping inside using a window she had likely kept open for this exact moment. He waited until she was completely out of sight before making his way back to the capsule house. 

The door was unlocked, as it had been for the past few weeks they had been camped out in the mountains, and the stillness inside confirmed his theory that the others were still sound asleep. Moving carefully, he was easily able to make his way soundlessly into the rear of the house. It was a fairly large capsule house, but even the largest portable homes were only designed with up to three bedrooms. Lunch and Bulma had taken the master suit for themselves, with Kame Sennin, Oolong, and Kuririn occupying the second bedroom, leaving Tenshinhan to share the third room with Yamucha and Chaozu. The sound of steady breathing hit his ears the moment he stepped through the door. The faint glow of dawn was creeping through the curtains, guiding his path over to the futon he had been sleeping in just hours ago. Slipping out of his shoes, he laid himself down on top of the still cool sheets and willed himself to rest. Yet despite his best efforts he found his mind was still swirling with thought.

Goku’s words kept slipping in and out of his mind and suddenly Tenshinhan found he could not shake the idea of home and family. For the first time in his life Tenshinhan wondered if perhaps there really could be more to his world than budo.


	8. Nesting

“There, all done,” Lunch announced as she ran her hands over the course orange fabric. “These should be able to hold you over for another week or so.”

“Thanks Lunch!” Goku beamed brightly as Lunch handed her the freshly altered pair of pants. “ChiChi might not be lettin’ me train no more, but I’m glad that I’ll still be able to wear my gi without worryin’ about gettin’ any splits thanks to my belly.”

It was the third time that Lunch had let the pants out and likely wouldn’t be the last. Goku’s body was changing so rapidly that it was getting difficult to accommodate her growth, especially since she stubbornly insisted on wearing the same clothes day in and day out. Bulma had offered to get Goku something new to wear several times and ChiChi had even picked up a few maternity outfits during his last trip into the neighboring town, but Goku had yet to so much as touch them, opting instead to spend all her time wearing her training gi even if it was stretched nearly to its breaking point.

They were fortunate to have Lunch around to make quick alternations and let out the fabric as much as possible. More fortunate still was the fact that they had spent the past few weeks without an appearance of Lunch’s more volatile side to complicate things. Yet Bulma had a feeling their lucky streak would be coming to an end fairly soon. 

Bulma sighed and wiped at the sweat clinging to her forehead. Spring in Mount Paozu felt more like summer with the air growing impossibly thick and the sun baring its forceful rays down on them throughout the daylight hours. 

The weather that day seemed particularly brutal as the sky above lacked a single cloud, creating an unbearable heat that was enough to make even the hard working ChiChi call it quits. He had actually decided to take a day off from working the fields in order to set up the nursery, resulting in the boys being drafted into helping the task of assembling furniture in their cottage. Goku had been brought over to the capsule house in order for her to escape the paint fumes as Lunch and Bulma kept her company.

Not that the women were the only ones who were currently escaping the heat inside the capsule house. Kame Sennin was currently napping in one of the back rooms, while Pu’ar kept a close eye on Oolong to make sure he stayed out of mischief.

Bulma watched as Lunch gently talked Goku out of changing into the altered pants right in the middle of the sitting room before Bulma continued the task of staring intently at the pages of the book she was supposed to be reading to her pregnant friend. They had made a fair amount of progress over the last few weeks, having finished off three of the four books that Bulma had purchased a few months ago. At times it was hard to gauge how much of the material Goku was actually absorbing, but after the first book her attention had begun to wander less often and she didn’t gripe as much about being hungry during their “lessons,” although she still seemed fixated on all the foods she couldn’t eat instead of some of the more important details. Yet the feeling of pride Bulma felt for Goku at having actually taken their readings seriously and learning something from their lessons was diminished by the troubled feeling that had been clawing at the back of her mind over the last few days. 

From the beginning, Goku’s symptoms hadn’t matched up with those of a traditional pregnancy. In the four months that they had been staying in Mount Paozu, Bulma had never witnessed Goku vomit or even dry heave and after her initial few weeks of fatigue, Goku seemed to have bounced right back to her normal stamina. Not once had Goku complained of a sore back or swollen feet and while her appetite had increased, Bulma had suspected it was more likely due to having two people around that were willing to cook for her than the baby itself. If it weren’t for the fact that she could see Goku’s stomach expanding with her own two eyes, Bulma would have begun to doubt that there was any baby to speak of.

Yet the baby itself presented another bundle of issues, particularly given how quickly it was developing. By all counts Goku should have only been four months along, yet her current size (and the most recent ultra sound from the midwife in the next village over) put her closer on the side of six months. The baby would likely be out in the world before summer and the thought made Bulma shudder.

For years she had suspected that there was something unusual about Goku, but the truth of the matter was that Bulma had never put much thought into that. Goku was always just her strange friend, her wild child of a little sister who could bench press a house and defeat demons, but that had never been dangerous. If anything those aspects of her had been quaint, even charming, but soon there would be another Goku, another strange creature that would enter their lives and the world at large. Having another being like that out in the world could be troublesome.

Then there was the tail. The midwife’s equipment had been dated, almost primitive, but the machine she had used during the ultrasound last week had indeed caught sight of the baby’s tail once again. It had grown since the previous exam and was nearly long enough to wrap itself comfortably around the baby’s waist and even with the grain of the display they were able to see it moving along with the baby’s other limbs.

_It wasn’t a fluke,_ Bulma had thought, her mouth growing painfully dry as she did her best to maintain a neutral outward appearance while Goku and ChiChi gazed in wonder at their unborn child. _It’s there. It’s really there._

Bulma hadn’t told ChiChi about the tail or what it would mean. There had been opportunities, rare moments when just the two of them were alone where she had considered extending the warning to him. Yet each time the thought came to her head, Bulma found herself slapping it away just as quickly. It was an awkward conversation to have with someone she hardly knew, to tell a man that the woman he had married and was now expecting a child with had a dangerous side wasn’t the sort of news anyone would want to break. Bulma could only hope that ChiChi’s influence would help to balance things out. She had heard Goku say that ChiChi wanted their child to be a scholar, not a fighter. Perhaps if he were to get his way it would decrease their chances of danger without Bulma having to step in.

The sound of Goku’s startled laughter drew Bulma’s attention back to her surroundings. Glancing over in Goku’s direction, Bulma watched as a proud smile spread across her friend’s features as she planted her hands on either side of her stomach. “The baby’s fussin’ again,” Goku announced suddenly. “He must be hungry.”

“How can he be hungry?” Oolong asked. Bulma spared a glance towards the other end of the room where the two shape shifters were currently keeping themselves occupied with a friendly game of cards. “You just ate three helpings of curry an hour ago!” 

Pu’ar responded to Oolong’s remark by swatting him pointedly with his tail. “Goku’s pregnant, Oolong!” he reminded him tightly. “She has a right to eat a bit more.”

“‘A bit’ more is one thing for a normal woman, but Goku already eats enough to feed the King’s army. ‘A bit’ more in her case means _two_ armies!”

“Oolong!” Pu’ar began dangerously, his brow knitting testily even as Lunch waved a dismissive hand at the two.

“It’s no trouble for me,” Lunch said as she stood up suddenly, the movement causing her blue locks to bounce and sway. “I’m more than happy cooking for Goku-chan. What would you like to eat today? I have some fresh fish and plenty of … of…” A single strand of hair came loose from her thick head of hair and began to tickle her nose as a distant look started to settle on Lunch’s features. Her eyes soon lost their focus and her jaw went wide. Her nose twitched in a familiar way and Bulma rolled her eyes as the others braced themselves for what was soon to come. “Ah… ah… _Achoo_!” 

Bulma didn’t bother to stifle the frustrated groan that escaped her as the air around Lunch seemed to bend and shift as Lunch’s navy blue strands were replaced with bright blonde tresses. She knew that it was only a matter of time before this happened.

Lunch blinked, her once peaceful features twisting into a confused scowl as she studied her surroundings. “Still stuck in this dump, huh?” she sneered distastefully before slumping back down into stiff arms of her chair. “Figures.”

“Welcome back!” Goku greeted cheerfully as Pu’ar and Oolong visibly squirmed with open discomfort at this new development.

Lunch turned to regard Goku, her green eyes widening as she took in Goku’s current state. “Yeesh you’ve gotten big!” 

Goku chuckled and gave her stomach a proud pat. “My baby’s growin’ fast.”

“You sure there’s only one kid in there?”

“Looks like you’re out of luck for food, Son-kun,” Bulma said with a weary sigh. “I doubt Lunch-san will be up to making anything any time soon.”

The door swung open at that moment and as if sensing his wife’s dilemma ChiChi strolled inside the temporary home. “Pardon the intrusion,” ChiChi said politely by way of announcing his presence as he seemed to make a direct line over to Goku’s side. “I decided ta take a quick break ta check on my wife.” He gave a soft chuckle at his own words before leaning down in order to press a quick peck to her cheek.

Goku responded in her usual childish manner by twisting her nose and lightly pushing him away. “ChiChi, don’t go gettin’ all mushy in front of my friends,” she said, although Bulma caught the faint hint of a smile hiding behind her words.

ChiChi responded to Goku's words with a patient laugh and a tender squeeze to her hands before pulling away. As he straightened himself ChiChi took a moment to sweep the room, his gaze eventually landing on Lunch's blonde hair and sour disposition and suddenly the good natured air that had been surrounding him began to falter. "Goku-sa', yer friends haven't been causin' a roucus while I was gone now, have they?" ChiChi asked tersely as his did his best to discretely scan the capsule house for any signs of fresh gun fire.

Lunch bristled as if offended by ChiChi's remark, but Bulma was quick to dismiss his concerns. "Don't worry. She only sneezed a second ago."

"Lunch fixed my pants for me, ChiChi," Goku said happily as she lifted the orange gi into ChiChi's vision, pulling at the extract elastic band that Lunch had sewn into the waist just moments ago. "Me an' the baby'll have plenty of room now."

A weary smile settled onto ChiChi's features in light of his wife's glee. "That's nice, Goku-sa', but I really wish ya'd at least consider wearin' some of those nice clothes I bought ya. I'm sure ya'll be right comfortable wearin' 'em. I even made sure ta pick out ones that had yer favorite colors."

"I know and that was real nice, but I just like these clothes best of all."

Bulma watched as ChiChi's shoulder began to sag ever so slightly as another bit of his patience slowly chipped away.

The young couple's discussion was interrupted when the front door was pushed open once more as Yamucha and the others marched inside. The scent of paint clung to all four young martial artists as they piled into the living room looking equal parts tired and frustrated.

"Done painting already?" Bulma asked as Yamucha shambled over to her side. His clothes and parts of his arms were flecked with the bright yellow paint ChiChi had picked out for the nursery. According to ChiChi, yellow was the perfect color for the baby's room because it was stimulating and would make the baby smart. He had decided on the color and made the trip to the next village over to purchase it while Goku had spent the day playing cards with Kame Sennin and Lunch. Not that Goku had minded much. She had taken one look at the paint cans and decided that yellow would be a good color since it was “happy” and reminded her of “sunshine.”

Yamucha responded to Bulma’s question with a weary groan as he slumped down to the floor beside her. “Probably applied a base and two top coats in the last hour,” he grumbled.

“And we put the crib together,” Kuririn put in.

“And assembled the changing table,” Tenshinhan said. 

“And that stroller,” Chaozu added.

Bulma gave a nervous chortle at the list of chores the group had completed that morning while she had been, quite literally, sitting around with her feet propped up. Not that she wasn’t pulling her own weight. After all, watching after Goku was a full time job. “Well it sounds like you all had a very full day.”

“They sure did,” ChiChi confirmed proudly as he took a moment to roll the sleeves of his changshan up to his elbows. “They earned themselves a break before we get ta the next half of our work day. First, of course, I’m gonna fix Goku-sa’s somethin’ real tastey ta eat.”

“Didn’t we earn any lunch?” Kuririn muttered dejectedly, only to be rewarded with a withering glare from ChiChi.

Yet Goku’s hand settling on ChiChi’s wrist was somehow enough to ease his sour disposition. “I bet Kuririn and the others would really appreciate some lunch too, ChiChi,” Goku said brightly. “I could even lend a hand if you want.”

“Goku-sa’ yer too thoughtful for yer own good,” ChiChi practically gushed and Bulma didn’t bother to hide the way her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head at the comment. At times she found ChiChi’s over eager fondness towards Goku amusing, but other times it was just tiresome to hear someone endlessly sing Goku’s praises. (Although, Bulma wished that Yamucha would certainly learn a thing or two from ChiChi in that area.) “Ya don’t need ta trouble yerself with that. I’ll fix up a nice meal for everyone.”

Somehow ChiChi managed to hide the tight set of his jaw and the way his eye seemed to twitch ever so slightly from Goku’s gaze as he planted another quick peck to her cheek before heading over to the kitchen.

“You all look beat,” Lunch said bluntly as she twisted around in her chair in order to better face the rest of the group. “How can the four of you be that tired just from painting?”

“Because ChiChi’s a real task master,” Kuririn put in bitterly, but his comment was only met with a fond chuckle from Goku.

“Aw, ChiChi ain’t so bad,” she grinned. “He’s a hard worker an’ he likes other people to work hard too. I like that about him.”

Kuririn bowed his head and muttered something under his breath too low for anyone else to hear and Bulma couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. This couldn’t have been an easy situation for Kuririn, being forced to share space with Goku and her husband when he was still coming to turns with the fact that his romantic feelings would never be returned by his best friend. 

Yet his discomfort easily went unnoticed by Goku as she shifted in her seat and gave the sides of her belly a quick pat. “The baby sure is excited to get a bite to eat,” she chuckled. “He’s gettin’ all fussy an’ happy.”

“With all the food you’ve been eating, I’m surprised there’s any room at all for the baby,” Oolong grumbled as Pu’ar gathered up the cards in order to deal Kuririn and the others in. 

“Oolong,” Kuririn seethed tersely, ever the protective sort when it came to Goku’s wellbeing. 

Yet Goku only responded with a sheepish sort of laugh that quickly defused any tension building in the living room. 

“You are really big, though,” Chaozu put in suddenly, his attention centering solely on Goku’s stomach instead of the stack of cards that had been set out in front of him. “Are you going to have the baby soon?”

Goku smiled and gave the sides of her stomach a light pat and Bulma imagined that the baby had likely responded to the touch with a push or a kick as the look on Goku’s face suddenly grew fonder as her belly quaked ever so slightly. “Well, Bulma’s books said I should have another three months or so,” Goku explained as she rubbed her stomach. “But the midwife lady said I’m pretty big already, so it shouldn’t be much longer now. Maybe around summer time the baby should be born.”

“Summer time, huh?” Yamucha repeated thoughtfully as he settled beside the foot of Bulma’s chair in order to get himself into a more comfortable position. He glanced down at the cards that had been passed his way and frowned. Bulma peeked over his shoulder and saw that Yamucha had been given a particularly bad hand. “That’s not very far away.”

“It’s not,” Bulma confirmed as she chewed thoughtfully on her lip before pointedly lowering her eyes back to the book laid out across her lap. They really should be getting back to their lesson.

“I’ll sure be glad when he’s out,” Goku told them brightly. “I wanna see what he looks like. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a baby.”

“I’ve never seen one up close,” Chaozu admitted. His dark eyes drifted to Goku’s stomach, peering at her bulky middle with a surprising amount of intensity and Bulma had to wonder if he was attempting to look inside. “But he must be pretty big. Is it going to hurt when he comes out?”

“Probably,” Goku said.

“Definitely!” Bulma put in firmly, but Goku just shrugged in response.

“Well, I’ve had my arms an’ legs an’ even my ribs broken before,” Goku said casually, “so I’m sure it won’t be too bad.”

Yamucha hummed thoughtfully as he shuffled his own cards in order to formulate some sort of a plan. “Maybe I should go visit Karin-sama and see if he could spare a few Senzu beans, just in case.”

“That’s a good idea, Yamucha-sama,” Pu’ar agreed with a nervous titter. 

“Aw, you guys worry too much,” Goku chuckled as she gave her stomach a good rub. 

“Does the baby have a name yet?” Chaozu asked in order to redirect the conversation. 

“We ain’t settled on anythin’ yet,” Goku admitted with a shrug.

“Well if you need ideas, I could think of some for you,” Bulma said eagerly, sitting up straighter in her chair at the prospect of making a contribution. “What do you think of ‘Trunks’? That would be a cute name for a baby boy, don’t you think?”

Kuririn gave a nervous chuckle as he shifted closer to the coffee table. “That certainly sounds like the sort of name you would pick, Bulma-san.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bulma huffed defensively, her bitter scowl causing Kuririn to sputter and squirm uncomfortably.

“Kuririn’s right,” Goku chuckled, “That doesn’t really sound like a name for my kid.”

“What about ‘Baofan’?” Chaozu supplied helpfully, finding enjoyment in the prospect of this new game. “That’d be a nice name, wouldn’t it?” Chaozu’s eyes drifted in Tenshinhan’s direction, shifting his way as if to signal that it was his turn to take part in the game. 

Tenshinhan responded with a surprisingly thoughtful hum as he took a moment to consider what to say. “Giyozah?” he supplied after a moment, before seeming to reconsider. “Or perhaps… Mantouh?”

“Well as long as we’re coming up with boy names,” Yamucha put in by way of announcing his participation, “I always thought ‘Pidan’ was sort of nice.”

“You’re all probably only helping to make her hungrier,” Oolong commented dryly. “If you’re looking for a good name, ‘Sencha’ would be best.”

“You guys are real good at this,” Goku said with genuine wonder. “I ain’t thought of nothin’ that nice so far. ChiChi’s been the one comin’ up with most of the names.” 

Bulma chortled awkwardly at the comment as she leaned over to Goku’s side. “Ya know, Son-kun,” she whispered conspiringly, “I’m not so sure you’d want ChiChi to be the one to name the baby. I mean… his name is _ChiChi_ after all…”

“I’ll have ya know,” ChiChi began pointedly as he marched back into the living room, his face twisted into a defensive scowl, “‘ChiChi’ happens ta be a family name.”

“Well, it certainly suits _you_ , ChiChi-san,” Bulma said with as much fake sincerity as she could possibly muster. 

Her words did little to dispel the irritated look on ChiChi’s features as he continued to glower pointedly in Bulma’s direction before planting a hand on Goku’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m plannin’ on givin’ our boy a right, proper name,” he announced proudly. “Somethin’ fittin’ for a future scholar.”

“Ya know,” Lunch began languidly. “The mom really should be the one to name the baby. She’s doin’ all the hard work after all.”

ChiChi’s face grew flushed with what appeared to be a genuinely sheepish look as he stood quietly and fumbled with what to say. The others were equally quiet, their silence pointed and heavy as they waited expectantly for ChiChi to come up with some sort of response to Lunch’s comment. After a moment Bulma considered speaking in order to change the subject and alleviate the awkward air, but instead found her intended words being cut off when Goku stood suddenly and placed a hand at her husband’s side. 

“ChiChi’s workin’ plenty hard,” Goku offered, her smile genuine and good natured even if her words failed to sway anyone’s mind. “He works hard every day on his farm and he’s always comin’ up with good ideas about what to buy for the baby. I wouldn’t know nothin’ if it weren’t for ChiChi.”

“Excuse me?” Bulma huffed openly as she pointedly lifted the pregnancy book into Goku’s line of sight and waved it under her nose. “Who’s been wasting her afternoons reading to you every day, huh? And who do you think it was that told you two clueless hicks about the baby in the first place?”

“Ya’ve been plenty of help, Bulma-sa’,” ChiChi told her and Bulma was pleased to find only sincerity in his tone.

“Everyone’s been lots of help,” Goku agreed enthusiastically. “Kuririn an’ Yamucha an’ Tenshinhan an’ Chaozu have been doin’ a great job helpin’ with the farm an’ stuff, Lunch’s been cookin’ up a storm and fixin’ up my clothes real nice, an’ Gramps an’ the others have been keepin’ me company when everyone’s away. It’s been lots of fun.”

ChiChi chuckled fondly as he wrapped his arm around his wife’s side, pulling her close and pressing a brief kiss to her wild tuffs of hair. “Goku-sa’,” he grinned peacefully. “Sometimes ya know jus’ what ta say.”

Bulma smiled approvingly at her friend as she gently closed the book in her lap. She reasoned that now was as good of a time as any to take a short break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the names used in this chapter were Asian foods and drinks that were purposely misspelled or rearranged. Of course I couldn't resist throwing in a nod to Trunks and one of my previous fics in while I was at it.


	9. Along Came a Spider

The days were getting longer, long and hot and blistering. The mountain breeze came less frequently now and when the wind did pass through, it was less of a cool balm and more of a muggy reminder that summer was nearly upon them.

Goku sighed and pressed her palm against the swell of her stomach as she wadded her feet in the water. She liked summer. In the summer, she and Grampa would go swimming in the rivers and spend the daylight hours catching fish and skipping rocks. They would build a fire at night fall and roast their catch and Goku would fall asleep, full bellied and warm, curled up in her Grampa’s lap beneath a blanket of stars.

A small smile curled the corner of her lips at the memory. She still remembered the last time she had seen her Grampa at the old crone’s make shift tournament. He had ran his fingers through her hair, warm and solid despite the fact that he had been dead for several years by then, and smiled at her. Grampa had told her that she was a good girl, that he was proud of how strong she'd become and he had told Goku not to worry about him because he was happy in the Other World.

She wished that her grandfather could have met the baby. She had a feeling he would be happy knowing that Goku would soon become a mother, but wondered if he would have agreed with ChiChi’s idea that she would have to give up fighting to take care of the baby. The thought caused a frown to settle upon her features as the baby began squirming around beneath her skin.

_There’s gotta be a way to do both,_ Goku thought as she rubbed at her belly. She could feel the baby pressing against the spot where her palm met her own tight skin, reaching out with a hand or a foot, she wasn’t sure which. 

The surface of the water began to ripple as thick bubbles came churning upward from beneath. Goku straightened and leaned forward, watching as the ripples created a small tidal wave that splashed along her bare legs. After a moment Kuririn’s bald head emerged from beneath the depths of the lake, his cheeks flushed from exhaustion as he began gasping for air. 

“Goku! It’s not working,” he half huffed, half whined as he swam over towards her. “I can’t fish this way!”

“Sure you can,” Goku said encouragingly as the waves Kuririn was creating caused the lake water to splash up to her calves. “I do it all the time! It’s the best way to get the biggest fish. You just gotta go down deep.”

Kuririn heaved a defeated sigh when he reached the shore, his damp skin glistening in the sunlight as he crawled onto the surface in order to sit beside Goku. A pool of water instantly gathered around him as he crossed his legs and wiped off some of the excess water from his face. “I went down deep,” Kuririn groaned. “Nearly to the bottom. Are you sure we haven’t just fished those trout into extinction?”

Goku chuckled at Kuririn’s words and the defeated expression on his face. The gesture causing her belly to shake which made her baby kick happily in response. “I know I’ve been eatin’ a lot lately, but I don’t think it’s been near _that_ much!”

Kuririn pinned her with a skeptical look before glancing over at the lake once more. It was late afternoon and the sun still hung high in the sky, shinning bright enough that Kuririn’s arms and legs were already starting to look a bit dry. The others had all been taking turns catching fish and today was Kuririn’s turn to do the chore. Goku was meant to be inside resting as she did most days now, but she had snuck out to join her friend when the others thought she was napping in her room. It had been a while since she had taken a dive in the lake herself and a part of her was still tempted to strip down to her skin and show Kuririn just how fishing should be done. Yet Kuririn had only allowed her to stay in exchange for Goku’s promise that she would sit back and relax while he did the work. 

“Are summers here always so brutal?” Kuririn sighed as he wiped at the moisture clinging to his forehead. It was hard to tell if it was lake water or sweat anymore, but Goku could see the beginnings of a tan slowly warming the top of Kuririn’s head. 

“It ain’t summer yet,” Goku reminded him lightly as she kicked her legs back and forth steadily in the pleasantly cool water. “It’s still just late spring.”

“It might as well be summer,” Kuririn said as he continued to rub at his cheek. A pink flush slowly began to spread across his features as a strange expression settled on Kuririn’s face and Goku wondered if her friend had been in the sun too long. “Goku,” Kuririn began slowly, his voice somewhat uncertain as he sat a bit straighter beside her. “Are… are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered instantly as she shifted against the soft grass beneath her. “I’ve just been thinkin’.”

“That’s not like you,” Kuririn joked lightly.

Goku smiled in agreement as she framed her stomach with her hands. “The baby’s made me thoughtful I guess,” she told him.

For a moment Kuririn looked sheepish, as if he regretted something, but he must have pushed that feeling aside. “What have you been thinking about?”

“Baby stuff mostly,” she admitted. “I wish the baby coulda met my grampa. I miss him a lot. I know he’s happy in the Other World, but … I’ve been thinkin’ about him a lot lately.”

“It’s only natural. Even if he is happy there, I’m sure he misses you too,” he reasoned and that made Goku smile.

A sudden breeze passed over them, one that caused the water to ripple gently along the surface of the lake and pushed the warm late spring air around unpleasantly. Kuririn groused and inched closer to the water’s edge. “I suppose I’ll give fishing another shot,” he announced as he slipped back into the lake.

“Go down deeper, Kuririn,” Goku instructed as her friend swam out towards the middle of the water. “You’ll find a nice big one this time, I know it!”

It took Kuririn a few more tries, but eventually he was able to catch two decently sized fish. Goku had congratulated her friend with a fond pat on the head, a gesture that had caused Kuririn’s whole body to flush as he hurriedly dried himself off with the towel he had brought along before throwing on his gi. 

As big as she was now, Goku had to ask for Kuririn’s help in order to get back to on to her own two feet and once her calves were dried, they grabbed their fish and headed back home.

Their trip to the lake had taken longer than Goku had expected and as they walked along the mountain path back home, the sun had actually begun to sink in the sky. Goku smiled at the setting sun, the sweltering mountain air already starting to feel less oppressive as the sky began to color with the faintest hint of gold.

By her side she could feel Kuririn’s eyes shifting her way, his gaze flickering back and forth between her and the ground as he dragged his fresh catch behind him. Goku knew that he wanted to say something, but she also knew Kuririn well enough to realize that if she pushed him he would lose his nerve, so Goku waited patiently for her friend to find his voice.

After a few moments of stopping and starting, Kuririn finally spoke, “Goku?” he began hesitantly. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something, but… but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.”

“You can ask me anything, Kuririn,” Goku told him reassuringly. “You’re my friend. I’m sure you won’t say anything bad.”

Despite her assurance, Kuririn still seemed to hesitate. Yet with a deep breath in his lungs, he managed to gather his strength to speak. “It’s about you and ChiChi,” he started, his pace slow a bit as he spoke. “Do you… well, that is…? W-why did you marry him?” 

“Because he asked me,” Goku shrugged. “I did promise him after all.”

Goku could still remember that part of the tournament pretty well, how furious ChiChi had been when he had approached Goku during the preliminaries and found that he had been forgotten. It was an anger that came to a head during their brief fight, when Goku had knocked ChiChi out of the ring easily in order to get him to reveal his identity to her. ChiChi’s fury had quickly melted into heartache when he discovered that Goku had misunderstood his intentions and Goku had felt that the only way to make up for that mistake was to fulfill her promise. She smiled at the memory of ChiChi eagerly getting down on one knee in order to ask for her hand “right an’ proper” as he had said in front of hundreds of spectators. 

It was a fond memory for her, but clearly Kuririn did not agree. “But he asked you when you were both little kids,” Kuririn reasoned, “and you didn’t even know what you were promising. You didn’t have to do it.”

Again Goku shrugged, because she had considered that. She had thought of it the moment that Yamucha had explained to her what marriage meant, that it would mean being with ChiChi forever, but the thought of turning ChiChi down had made Goku feel awful inside so she didn’t want to do it. 

“So… that’s it then?” Kuririn asked, a slight edge of frustration slipping into his tone. “That’s all it had to be? If _anyone_ had asked you…?”

“No,” Goku corrected, “not anyone.”

Kuririn’s steps faltered as he seemed to stumble over his own feet at the comment. “You mean... Goku?”

“I liked ChiChi,” Goku explained. “We only knew each other for a bit when we were little, but I knew from the moment I met him that I liked him. He was weird an’ a bit high strung, but he was also a good person. Plus, when we met again at the tournament…” Goku chuckled as she searched herself for the right words. “Well, how do I put it? He ain’t much of a fighter, but he had a real nice face.”

Goku had thought that her answer was perfectly reasonable, but from the way Kuririn’s shoulders slumped and his eyes turned glassy she could tell he didn’t quite agree. “It… it all happened so fast,” Kuririn lamented as he bowed his head, his chin hanging down to his chest as if the task of keeping his head upright was too much work. “It feels like we were children only yesterday and now… And now you’re married and having a baby.”

The baby chose that moment to give a few light kicks as if to register his agreement with Kuririn’s words. Goku sighed and placed a hand on Kuririn’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze the way she had seen others do several times before in hopes of offering her friend some comfort. 

“Life’s jus’ funny like that I guess,” she offered as the baby continued to fuss and squirm beneath her skin. A year ago she never would have imagined herself in this situation. In fact, it had almost been a full year since the Budokai where she had fought against Piccolo’s son. Back then the only thing Goku had seen in her future was her impending fight with her demonic rival and beyond that nothing else, because Goku had never been the sort to plan out her future. Now she had ChiChi and the baby and a life that didn’t have fighting at its the center. “But that ain’t always a bad thing. You can never guess what’s in the future for anyone, an’ I bet there’s somethin’ really good waitin’ in the future for you, too.”

A small smile began to tug at the corner of Kuririn’s lips and Goku was pleased to know that she had eased her friend’s gloomy mood. “I guess you’re right,” he said as he lifted his eyes to offer her a skeptical look, “but I think you just proved my point again. When did you suddenly become so smart?”

“It’s the baby, I guess,” Goku chuckled as she gave her stomach another firm pat.

The two friends shared a laugh and Goku was glad to find whatever gloomy feelings that had been settling upon Kuririn evaporating. She missed spending time with Kuririn. It had been far too long since it had been just the two of them alone and Goku was glad she had decided to come along with him on his fishing trip.

Another warm breeze drifted across them, causing the leaves to rustle and the grass to bend gently in the wind. Suddenly a strange feeling settled upon her. Goku felt her body tense as the hair on the back of her neck stood up and in that moment she realized that her baby’s fitful kicks was more than simple fussing. 

Kuririn didn’t appear to notice the change at first. In fact, it was only when the hand Goku had placed on his shoulder tightened pointedly did he seem realize that an ominous energy had entered their peaceful world. The fish in his hands was instantly forgotten as Kuririn hurriedly stepped in front of Goku, lowering himself into a fighting stance as his eyes scanned the horizon for danger. 

Their path was surrounded by trees. Thick, leafy branches stretching out high above them and nearly blocking out the light of the setting sun and aiding their foe in remaining hidden. Yet Goku’s keen senses had already picked up the fact that there were currently half a dozen of them, all hidden within the woods and waiting for an opening.

“Who’s there?” Goku called out, her words causing Kuririn to flinch slightly as he shifted his gaze left then right, still searching. “Show yourselves!”

Above them a branch shifted, bending slightly in response to a heavy weight pressing down on it. Goku’s eyes lifted and even if the figure was still encased by shadow, she could see that the creature above them was massive. “We’re here to retrieve what was taken,” a deep voice rumbled, the words seemingly causing the leaves to shake as the air turned a touch colder. “You have stolen something from one of us.”

Goku chuckled, understanding slowly settling upon her. “You mean the Dragon Ball?” she concluded. “You’re one of them, ain’cha?”

A deep sort of hiss caught her attention and Goku found her eyes drawn towards a familiar figure emerging from the tangled thicket of trees. The Spider creature looked just as she had remembered: tall and gray and twisted. “Thief,” the Spider hissed and soon more creatures just like him began to appear, each one looming taller and wider than the first. “Are you proud of what you had done?”

“Stay behind me, Goku,” Kuririn told her, his voice rock steady even as worry began to radiate off his being. “I won’t let them hurt you!”

Goku smiled fondly down at her friend. She still recalled the fight between the Spider and ChiChi and how her husband had taken the creature down with ease. He was no match for her, but the others he had brought with him had a more impressive energy surrounding them. Were it not for her belly and the fact that she hadn’t gotten any real training in months, Goku felt confident she could take them all without much effort. Yet as the baby kicked and twisted inside her, she wasn’t quite so certain. 

“Look,” Goku began evenly, “I’m sorry ‘bout the way things happened. We were lookin’ for that ball, ‘cause it belonged to my Grampa. We didn’t mean to pick a fight. We even asked nicely for you to hand it over. There’s no sense bein’ sore ‘bout it now.”

“Fool,” one of the other creatures sneered in disgust. “This is about more than a mere trinket.”

“You desecrated our scared land,” the one looming above put in, and Goku had a feeling that he was their leader, “you humiliated one of our own. What was stolen was our pride, and only through your death can it be returned.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding!” Kuririn cried out. “Goku’s _pregnant_! She’s carrying her first child! Is the pride of your clan content with killing someone in that state?”

The main spider, the Boss, huffed, seemingly unmoved by Kuririn’s reasoning as he continued to crouch and shift in the shade. “She and her male were content to attack an innocent child. I see no fault in this.”

“You mean you’re just a _kid_?” Goku gaped as she stared at the Spider. Perhaps that was how ChiChi had been able to take him so easily.

“Enough talk!” one of the larger creatures hissed before charging forward. 

Goku made to block his blow, but found her vision soon obscured as Kuririn leapt between the two. He batted the creatures attack with ease before sending a swift kick its way. Yet the four handed monster barely stumbled in response to the blow as one of the others came up behind Goku. She spun around and managed to knock the monster back with a single blow. Two more came charging from either side and Goku leapt high enough into the air that she was able to evade them with ease, the two massive spiders crashing into each other in a tangle of limbs.

Yet even in the air Goku was not safe as one of the spiders that had been lurking in the tree branches lunged towards her. Four thick clawed hands grabbed her arms, digging into her flesh with enough force to break the skin, but Goku was able to maneuver herself mid-air in order to shake the creature off. She was relieved to learn that the creature did not seem to know Bukujutsu as it went crashing back to earth like a bag of rocks. The relief was short lived when she saw that Kuririn was currently being overwhelmed by two more Spiders on the ground.

She dove down towards the ground just as one of the monsters swiped at Kuririn’s back, the gesture causing the fabric of his gi to rip as angry red gashes opened across his skin. Kuririn cried out in pain as he collapsed onto the grass. A wave of heat bloomed in her being as Goku grabbed the spider that had attacked her friend by its arm and lifted it into the air with ease. She swung him like a drag doll, his bulky gray figure colliding with a deep thud into one of his companions who had the misfortune of standing nearby.

The crowded field was steady once more; the sudden silence a clear indication of their victory, yet the tension didn’t ease from Goku’s being, not with the Boss still hovering above them. A deep rumble emitted from the creature’s shadowy being as he seemed to consider the situation. “We under estimated you,” he said at last. “We won’t make that mistake next time.”

“You plannin’ on fightin’ me yourself, then?” Goku huffed as her hands balled themselves into fists. 

Another rumble and soon the other spiders began to groan and shift as they struggled to stand on their own two feet. “Leaving my men alive was not your first mistake,” the Boss told her chidingly, “but know that your time is all but spent. Cherish these next few moments as they will be your last.”

Despite their injuries her foes somehow managed to disappear before her very eyes with surprising ease, slinking off into the shadows as their ki evaporated without a trace. It was only now that the threat had disappeared that Goku noticed the sweat that had been pouring down her flushed face as her legs began to throb with exhaustion. Her breath was coming in and out in short ragged huffs and her stomach felt taught and wrong. She was more out of shape than she had originally thought; months of doing little more than eating and sleeping had taken its toll on her body, a fact not helped by the uncomfortable bulge that was her middle. 

Goku grunted and placed a hand to her stomach, checking for any fresh bruises or cuts that she may have sustained during her brief fight. She was relieved to find none, yet her comfort was short lived at the sight of her arms. Indeed her opponent’s claws had managed to draw blood, the skin on her shoulder and forearm broken as deep angry gashes dripped blood all the way down to her wrist bands. A disappointed frown settled on her features at the sight. A year ago she had gone toe to toe with Piccolo Daimao’s child and now she was just barely able to defeat a pack of creatures that could barely hold a candle to him. 

She pushed those bitter thoughts aside as she went to Kuririn’s side. It was clear from the frustrated groans and grunts that he was making that her friend was still awake, yet his injuries were far greater than her own. Along with his sliced up back there were a liter of cuts and bruises decorating his face, the worst of which were already starting to swell.

“Are you okay, Kuririn?” Goku asked as she placed a gentle hand on her friend’s tender side. 

Kuririn responded with another groan as he pushed himself onto his knees before taking a moment to spit out the excess blood that had gathered in his mouth. “I’ll be fine,” he said tersely as he brushed the dirt off of his cheek. His body tensed for a moment as his eyes widened with concern. “What about you? Are you alright? How’s the baby?”

Goku offered him a reassuring smile as she framed her hands against the sides of her swollen belly. She could feel the baby beneath her skin, curling into himself as if he too were trying to catch his breath. “We’re fine,” Goku told him. “The baby’s a bit shaken up that’s all.”

The urgency that had been shining in Kuririn’s eyes seemed to diminish, but still the look of concern lingered as his eyes landed on her arms. “You’re hurt.”

“They’re just scratches,” she told him dismissively. “I’ve had worse.”

“Goku… I’m sorry. I was supposed to protect you…”

“You did fine, Kuririn,” she assured him, yet her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as his eyes only grew glassy with guilt. “It’s okay. _We’re_ okay.”

“It’s not okay!” Kuririn shouted, tears freely flowing from his eyes now as he threw his arms around her. 

Having been married to ChiChi for nearly a year, Goku was used to being hugged when she least expected it, but being held by Kuririn was different. Kuririn buried his head not in her hair, but against her shoulder, his noseless face flat against the fabric of her gi as thick tears began to pour from his eyes. His touch was desperate and filled with urgency as he dug his fingers into the fabric of her clothes and suddenly Goku was at a loss for what to say or do. 

“You don’t understand how this feels,” Kuririn confessed, his words muffled by the fabric of Goku’s gi, “looking at you like this. I thought I could handle it, I thought that if I could just be there for you and help you then I’d feel better, but I couldn’t even do that! Goku I… I _love_ you! And I just want to be with you, be near you, but there’s no place for me in your world anymore.”

The words had come tumbling out so quickly that Goku wondered if Kuririn even realized what he had said, but she reasoned that there was no taking it back now. She placed a careful hand on her friend’s head, mindful of the fresh welts and tender patches of skin as she took everything in. Goku had seen Kuririn cry before, it was something he did when he was frustrated or embarrassed, but this was something new. His feelings were so open and raw, and Goku felt lost in the face of them.

“Kuririn,” Goku said gently as she brushed her fingers against the back of his neck, “you’re wrong ‘bout all that. There’ll always be a place for you in my world. I know things are different now, _I’m_ startin’ to feel different now, but even after the baby’s born you’ll still be my best friend. Nothing’s ever gonna change that. I’ll always love you.”

The muscles in Kuririn’s back stiffened as he gave a slight sniff and seemed to steady his own breath. “Goku?” he began hesitantly as he lifted his gaze towards her. His eyes were still red and wet, but he looked far less miserable than he had before. “Do you… do you really mean that?”

“Course I do! And when the baby’s born he’ll be your friend too. We’ll all be best friends, all three of us.”

Kuririn laughed, unsteady and weak, but he still managed a small smile as he closed his eyes and rested his cheek peacefully against her shoulder. “I’d like that.”

“I’m glad,” Goku smiled as she offered his back the gentlest pat she could muster. “Now let’s head home. We’ve got a lot to tell the others.”


	10. Storm on the Horizon

When Goku and Kuririn returned to the Capsule house bloodied and battered an instant panic had swept over their friends. ChiChi had noticed his wife’s absence hours ago and was already beside himself with worry, yet seeing Goku’s mangled arms had been enough to send him into frenzy.

“How could this have happened?” ChiChi nearly wept even as he set to work on cleaning the torn skin on Goku’s forearm. “Ya coulda been killed!”

“I’m fine, ChiChi,” Goku assured him even as she allowed her husband to fuss over her injuries. “Kuririn’s the one who got it worse.”

“This is why ya shoulda stayed home!” ChiChi went on distantly as if he hadn’t heard anything Goku had said. His face was twisted into a mask of worry, his usually careful hands shaking ever so slightly as he wet the ball of cotton pinched between his fingers with some strong smelling medicine from a brown bottle. “Ya ain’t in any condition ta be fightin’. Kuririn! How could ya let this happen?”

Kuririn said nothing to that. His face was bright red with shame as he lay across the floor flat on his stomach. His shirtless back exposed as Bulma and Yamucha tended to him, the two of them sharing looks of quiet worry as they studied his injuries. Goku knew that Kuririn was feeling humiliated, that he had wanted to be the one to protect her for once, but she was just glad to know that he was okay even if his pride was a bit bruised.

“Don’t be hard on ‘im,” Goku put in. “Kuririn did his best.”

It was mostly true. On the outside, the slices on her arms were the only injury she had sustained from her fight, but inside her stomach felt warm and uncomfortably tight. She had been feeling that way ever since she and Kuririn had gathered their catch and started the journey back home, and Goku suspected that for the first time in her life she was actually feeling embarrassed. 

Kuririn may have thought that her fight had ended in an easy victory for her, but the fact still remained that Goku had gotten rusty enough to actually allow herself to be injured while facing a group of opponents that were far beneath her skill and power. Years of training seemed to have slipped away in just a few short months and the thought that this may become her future, that she would only continue to grow unskilled and useless in the coming years, made her hands shake with miserable anger.

Yet she couldn’t tell the others that, especially not ChiChi. She didn’t even really like thinking that way, because it made her feel guilty that she was already becoming resentful of the baby. Instead she kept silent and did her best to ignore the throbbing warmth building in the pit of her stomach.

“I think we have a far greater problem on our hands,” Kame Sennin mused as he glanced at his two former pupils, his mouth set into a worried frown. “Goku, how many of them did you say there were?”

“Six,” she answered, only to have her words cut off by a deep hiss as ChiChi began dabbing the medicine against her torn skin. “ _ChiChi_! That stings!”

“Ya’ll thank me when it’s not infected,” ChiChi chided sternly as he continued to rub at the broken skin.

“There were six,” Kuririn confirmed, “but only five of them were doing any of the fighting. Their leader just kinda stood there an’ watched.”

Tenshinhan hummed and folded his arms across his broad chest. “No doubt, he’s the strongest of the bunch,” he reasoned. “Did they say when they’d be back?”

“No,” Kuririn said mournfully. “And I doubt it’ll be just six next time, not with how easily Goku was able to mop the floor with them.”

“That’s just like you, Son-kun,” Bulma huffed as she dipped a cloth into the bowl of warm water Yamucha had poured for her and began wiping the excess blood from Kuririn’s back. He squirmed in open discomfort, his eyes screwing shut against the sensation of the rough movement against his tender back, but Bulma carried on with her task with seemingly pointed indifference. “Always causing trouble.”

Goku knew there was some truth to Bulma’s words. It had been her idea to search for her Grampa’s Dragon Ball with ChiChi. The little exercise had been so long ago that she had nearly forgotten about it, yet her simple desire to have a keep sake from her Grampa had somehow managed to blow up in their faces.

“It… it ain’t Goku-sa’s fault,” ChiChi lamented as he moved on from dabbing at Goku’s right arm to her left. “Goku might have found the Dragon Ball, but I was the one who beat the monster. It’s me they’re after.” His hands grew still as his dark eyes seemed to tinge red and grow shiny with wetness. ChiChi bowed his head and rested a sad hand against Goku’s stomach, his fingertips brushing against the hard swell that was her middle. “I put our baby in danger.”

A gentle feeling blossomed in her chest at ChiChi’s words. It was just like ChiChi, ever the responsible sort, to take the blame in this situation. Goku offered a sympathetic smile as she placed her hand on top of her husband’s, offering his fingers a tender squeeze. “We’re both at fault,” Goku told him.

“Well, that’s all fine and good, but we still have a pack of monsters ready to attack and a very pregnant Son-kun on our hands,” Bulma grumbled.

Lunch heaved a fretful sigh as she entered the already crowded living room carrying extra bandages and bottles of medicine. She had likely changed back while Kuririn and Goku had been out catching fish and Goku wasn’t certain whether or not that was a good or bad thing given their current situation. “Isn’t there something we could do?” Lunch asked as her dark eyes filled with worry. “Can’t we just give the Dragon Ball back?”

“No!” Goku said defensively, her sharp tone causing the others to stare at her in surprise. “The Dragon Ball’s a gift for the baby. Grampa ain’t here. It’s all that’s left of him. The baby should have that if he can’t ever meet him.” 

ChiChi’s touch turned compassionate as he smiled warmly at his wife. “Goku-sa’…”

“Besides, they don’t want it,” Kuririn sighed as Bulma got to work placing gauze against his back. “They want Goku dead. And ChiChi too I guess.”

Kame Sennin gave a thoughtful hum. “It looks like we’ll be preparing for a battle after all. And there’s no telling how much time we have to prepare… if any.”

“When he left, the Boss that is, he said ‘the next few moments,’” Kuririn put in. “So at best I’d say it’ll be only a day or two.”

“Damn,” Yamucha grumbled. “I should have gotten those Senzu beans from Karin-sama when we had the chance.”

“There’s no use in second guessing ourselves now,” Kame Sennin said reasonably. “We have to focus on the here and now.”

“We should get Son-kun out of here,” Bulma said reasonably. “It’ll be a long flight, but perhaps we could bring her back to West City with me? There’ll be plenty of room for everyone at my house and I’m sure we’ll be able to find a doctor to look after her when the baby comes.”

ChiChi gave a pensive frown as he grabbed a cloth bandage to wrap around Goku’s arms. “I agree we need ta move, although I feel right awful ‘bout leavin’ my field behind when the crops are so close ta bein’ ready for the next harvest,” he sighed as he deftly wrapped the cotton strip around Goku’s right arm. “But if we’re gonna head somewhere then I think we oughta go ta my Pa’s place. I don’t trust big city doctors no more, plus Pa’s been dyin’ ta see the baby an’ since he’ll be born any day now, it seems only right.”

“Wait a minute. You mean… you want us to go see Gyumao?” Oolong asked, his whole being already trembling at the prospect of making the journey to Mt. Fry-Pan once again. 

“My Pa ain’t so bad,” ChiChi said defensively as he got to work on Goku’s other arm. “He’s a right nice man an’ even the folks in the villages near our land agree.”

Oolong and Pu’ar shared a skeptical glance as they processed ChiChi’s words, yet Kame Sennin was quick to clear the lingering hesitance in the air as he pointedly struck the floors with the base of his staff.

“We can figure out where we’ll go later, but for now we have to make our preparations,” he reminded the group. “Oolong, you and Chaozu should go help ChiChi-san pack. The rest of us will stay here an’ watch over Goku. We’ll spend the night under this roof and leave first thing in the morning.”

“Shouldn’t we just leave now?” Chaozu asked.

Kame Sennin shook his head. “Goku-chan needs her rest and Kuririn is too injured to be moved right away. If we had Senzu beans, then perhaps, but for now the two of them need at least a night of sleep before we head anywhere.”

“I’m fine, Gramps, honest,” Goku lied even as the tight warmth continued to spread outwards from the pit of her stomach towards her chest. “I don’t need rest.” 

“Goku-sa’, please,” ChiChi sighed as he grasped her hands and gave them a pointed squeeze. “I already said that ya need ta be less reckless, remember? Jus’ lay down for a bit. For the baby if nothin’ else.”

Goku frowned and looked down at her hands resting in ChiChi’s large palms. She could see that both of their fingers were beginning to tremble and reasoned that it was panic causing her husband to become so unsteady in that moment. She gave a reluctant nod and was rewarded with a quick peck on the cheek before ChiChi stood and headed out of the Capsule house along with Oolong and Chaozu.

The silence that suddenly found its way into the room was heavy and awkward as Goku curled and flexed her hands in her lap. The bandages ChiChi had wrapped around her arms were tight, but not uncomfortably so, yet somehow her hands just kept shaking despite her best efforts to make them stop. She closed her eyes and took in a long, slow breath, holding it for a few seconds before pushing all the air out of her lungs and out through her nose. 

“I guess that feelin’ you had was right after all, Tenshinhan,” Goku said in the hopes of distracting herself from the strange feeling spreading through her midsection. “Somethin’ bad is headin’ our way.”

“I suppose so,” Tenshinhan mused distantly. His three eyes drifted in her direction and Goku could feel the way he was studying her as he stepped closer to her side. “Are you alright, Son?” he asked lowly, and Goku was grateful for his discretion. “You’re looking a bit flushed.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said dismissively even as a tightness settled onto her chest, making each breath surprisingly difficult.

Tenshinhan didn’t seem the least bit convinced. “Let’s get you to bed,” he said, as he reached out a hand towards her. “You can have Bulma’s bed.”

“No she can’t,” Bulma huffed indignantly as she finished putting the final bandage on Kuririn’s back, her sharp words causing the others to chuckle in response.

Goku smiled and waved off Tenshinhan’s offered hands as she awkwardly pushed herself upright. “I guess I should lay down for a bit,” she reasoned.

She had barely managed to stand upright when a jolt of pain passed through her. Goku felt her breath seize as something flared to life from her stomach to up to her chest and down towards her knees. Her legs buckled as her body lurched forward before she could stop herself. Tenshinhan’s sturdy arms caught her effortlessly, holding Goku in place as she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth against the pain radiating from her finger tips and down to her toes.

“Son! What’s wrong?” Tenshinhan barked as the others began to scramble.

“Goku!” Kuririn cried out and then instantly hissed, likely moving far too quickly in his injured state. 

“Goku-chan!” Kame Sennin said and instantly his firm, withered hands was pressing against her arm. “Say something!”

“I’m fine!” Goku lied even as her body began to burn and tremble in Tenshinhan’s arms. The pain continued to pulse inside her as she clenched her jaw and barely managed to hiss out her words in the hopes of offering her friends some form or reassurance. “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

“No you’re _not_ , Son-kun!” Bulma yelled, no doubt getting to her feet as she spoke. “Tenshinhan take her to my bed! Yamucha go get ChiChi!”

Goku felt herself being hoisted off the ground as her insides proceeded to twinge and throb sharply. She forced herself to concentrate on breathing, taking in deep ragged breathes as sweat poured down her face. The worst of the pain had subsided, but Goku could still feel her heart pounding in her arms and legs.

There were too many worried voices calling her names, too many concerned hands touching her body, and Goku felt dizzy as she tried to focus her mind on the baby. She could still feel him in a way, but he didn’t seem to be kicking or fussing the way he usually did. It was hard to concentrate on where he was, but she could tell that he wasn’t in the same position as before. 

She blinked her eyes as she felt a pair of small hands pressing low on her stomach, the finger tips determined and searching. Looking around Goku realized that she was in another room, laying on her back and surrounded by anxious faces. ChiChi was sitting on her right side, his face a mask of worry as he cradled Goku’s hand in his own. Bulma was crouched at the foot of the bed, pressing her hands against Goku’s stomach firmly as if trying to feel for something.

“I’m okay,” Goku gasped weakly as she tried and failed to push herself into a sitting position.

“Hold still, Son-kun,” Bulma chided sternly as she continued to press her palm against Goku’s warm skin.

“What are ya doin’ down there?” ChiChi asked anxiously as he stroked the back of Goku’s hand. “I thought ya said ya weren’t that sorta doctor.”

Bulma spared a moment to give an annoyed huff as she pulled her hand away from Goku and stood up straight. “Well, no, I’m not,” she sighed, “but I have been doing a lot of reading lately and … Well from what I can tell the baby definitely dropped.”

“Dropped?” Goku echoed as she pushed herself up until she was resting on her elbows. “Ya mean he’s comin’ out?”

Bulma frowned as she hesitantly bit her lower lip. “Well, soon,” she said uncertainly. “He’s in position, but I’m not sure if that was a real contraction or just a false alarm.”

“It felt pretty real,” she grumbled as ChiChi gave her hand a firm squeeze.

“It’s way too soon,” ChiChi fretted. “Ye’re only seven months along. It’s just too dang soon!”

“Nothing about this situation has been normal, ChiChi-san,” Kame Sennin lamented as he stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. “And now we have to take this into consideration.”

“If Goku’s going to give birth then should we really … _move_ her?” Kuririn ventured and even in the confused panic of their current situation, Goku couldn’t help notice the pained expression lingering on her friend’s features. The mere act of standing in his condition must have been painful and she felt terrible at the thought that he was straining his own injuries out of concern for her well being. “It seems a bit risky.”

“Well we can’t just sit around and wait for those spider things to get us,” Bulma put in, “especially when we’re trapped out here in the boonies. We’re miles away from the nearest village and there’s no way we could get a midwife up here when we’re about to be attacked!”

“All the more reason why we outta go see my Pa,” ChiChi reasoned. 

Another jolt ran through Goku’s being then, but there was no pain this time. Instead she sat up bolt straight as she felt a surge of malicious energy. A few of the others must have felt it as she noticed her friends grow tense. “Someone’s outside,” Goku said just as a pointed _thud_ caused the walls to shudder. 

“Damn, it’s them,” Kuririn groaned just as Tenshinhan and Yamucha made their way into the living room.

Again the walls shook as another series of _thumps_ and _thuds_ caused the walls to rumble and shake. “The door’s stuck!” Yamucha called out. “They’re sealing us in.”

Chaozu floated over to the nearest window and pulled back the curtain only to find that their view was completely obscured by something thick and ropey. “They’ve gotten this side too!”

“We’re trapped!” Oolong yelped, his pink skin draining of its color as he trembled in place. “They’re going to suffocate us like flies in a spider web!”

“Break down the walls!” Kuririn cried out. 

“Not with Goku-sa’ inside!” ChiChi shot back.

“Maybe we could dig our way out?” Pu’ar ventured.

“But they’re waiting for us out there,” Lunch fretted. “There’s nowhere to run.”

“It seems we have no choice,” Kame Sennin said, his voice flat and resolute as he threw his staff aside and rolled the sleeves of his changshan up to his elbows. “We’ll have to fight.”


	11. Someone Entirely New

The walls continued to rumble and shake as several large ki’s gathered outside the Capsule House. She could feel them, as could most of the others, scurrying about the walls and wrapping the house in a thick layer of webbing, ready to suffocate those trapped inside. Or perhaps that wasn’t it. Perhaps they were just trying to seal off their path in order to lure them out one by one. Either way, Goku felt her blood boil as she watched her friends circle around her, each one of them ready to strike the second danger reared its head. 

“Let me fight ‘em Gramps,” Goku shouted. “It’s me they’re after, not any of you.”

“Goku-sa’ don’t be absurd!” ChiChi cried out as he grasped her hands in his own. Goku’s fists were balled up tight and trembling with pent up energy, yet ChiChi didn’t seem to be the least bit intimidated by the sight. Instead he flashed her with a determined gleam of his own as he held her hands firmly in his grasp. “It’s too dangerous out there. Besides, they want me too. So if anyone should go out, it oughta be me. I took down that first monster after all; I reckon I can manage somehow.”

“They’re a lot tougher than ya think, ChiChi,” Goku warned. “That one from before was jus’ a kid. The others are much, much bigger an’ stronger.” 

“I don’t care,” ChiChi said, completely undeterred by Goku’s words. “You’re my wife an’ that’s my baby. I ain’t ‘bout ta let no body touch ya.”

“Son, let us handle this,” Tenshinhan said firmly, already shrugging out of his shirt in preparation for the seemingly inevitable battle. “This is why we all came here: to help you in this time of need.”

“Tenshinhan is right,” Yamucha put in as he took a moment to place a warm hand to Goku’s shoulder. “You’ve done so much for us. Let us do this for you.”

Her stomach hardened at the sound of her friends pleas. In her heart Goku knew there was a lot of sense to what they were saying. After all, there were likely more Spiders than she could count waiting for them outside and in that moment a fight would only serve to put her baby in danger. Yet all the same she hated the idea of sitting back and waiting for the others to defend her, especially when this situation was her own doing.

“It ain’t right,” Goku said at last. “It ain’t right for you to fight for me. It’s jus’ like Bulma said, I’m the one to blame. I brought this trouble here. I should fix it myself.”

“Oh, Son-kun,” Bulma sighed. A look of remorse settled upon her features as she rubbed at her own arm sheepishly. “I didn’t mean it that way. You’re not to blame, not really. You missed your grandfather and you wanted something to remember him by. That wasn’t wrong. What those creatures are doing now, that’s wrong.”

Another _thump_ sounded, but from directly above and Goku watched as the ceiling began to crack. “They’re above us!” Chaozu cried out.

“We have to move,” Kuririn said. Sweat was already pouring down his face, the strain of standing upright while still injured clear from the tight set of his jaws. 

“Goku,” Kame Sennin began sternly, his voice firm as he grasped her shoulders tightly in his deceptively withered hands. “Stay with your husband. We will take care of this for you. That’s an order from your master, do you understand?”

Goku frowned as she studied her sensei’s face, the tight set of his jaw and deep furrow of his brow leaving no room for argument. Without another word she allowed herself to be lifted into ChiChi’s arms, as Bulma lead Oolong, Pu’ar, and Lunch out of the room just as a deep crack appeared in the ceiling. They had barely stepped through the door and into the living room when a large chunk of the roof came crashing down and nearly a dozen or so spiders came pouring down from the hole they had created in the ceiling before landing in front of them. 

Bulma shrieked and scurried away just as Lunch let out a massive sneeze thanks to the bits of debris raining down around them. Her body shifted in that familiar manner as her hair and eyes lightened. “What just happened?” Lunch barked irritably as she glanced around the nearly dilapidated house. “What the hell is goin’ on?”

“Those Spider things are tryin’ ta kill us!” ChiChi cried out as the creatures swarmed around them. 

Goku frowned as ChiChi tightened his hold on her, suddenly finding his path blocked. There was no escape and from what she could tell the rest of their group was currently preoccupied fighting their own set of Spiders in the next room. 

“ChiChi,” she muttered lowly as she felt her husband’s arms tense around her, “you hafta let me go. We ain’t gonna get outta this unless _both_ of us fight.”

“Goku-sa’…” ChiChi began hesitantly, yet even as he spoke Goku could feel his resolve crumbling. With a long frustrated sigh, he reluctantly loosened his grasp and allowed her to stand on her own two legs. “Be careful.”

The familiar thrill of an impending fight coursed through her limbs as Goku settled herself into a battle stance. Beneath her skin her baby seemed to go pointedly still as if he too was preparing himself for the fight and Goku just silently hoped she would be able to do this without getting either of them hurt. “ChiChi, you an’ Lunch need to work together to protect Bulma an’ the others. I’ll clear a path so they can get outta here.”

“Right,” ChiChi breathed, but Lunch was already firing wildly into the air just as a few of the Spider creatures lunged towards them. 

Another one charged in Goku’s direction, but Goku was able to evade it easily and sent it flying away with a few quick punches to the back before moving on to the next. Thick gray arms came swinging at her, but the movement was erratic and guided only by useless anger, a fact that Goku was easily able to take advantage of. The creature had mostly tired itself out by the time Goku kicked at its legs, causing it to fall to the ground and send another Spider tumbling downward with it.

A small yellow blast of energy went whizzing through the air and just past her ear, the lingering traces of a Dodonpa, which Goku used to her advantage by knocking one of her opponents into its path. 

“Son!” Tenshinhan cried out as he came up beside her, kicking a Spider that likely had intended to charge her sailing clear across the room. “Weren’t you supposed to stay out of this?”

“It can’t be helped,” she heard ChiChi breathe, his words labored as he worked with Lunch to take down one of the smaller creatures. 

“Where’s Kuririn?” Goku asked, remembering that her friend was still injured from his fight just hours ago.

“With Chaozu and Kame Sennin in the other room,” Tenshinhan explained as he grabbed one of the larger spiders and hurled it into another one. “I came over when I realized you were fighting. Son, to be able to hold your own in this state, you truly are something else.”

“She’s a monster.”

A deep rumble cut through the room as those still standing and able to fight became pointedly rigid. A pointed stillness came over the crumbling house as Goku raised her gaze upward and saw a deep figure hoover above them. Crouched on top what remained of the collapsed roof, a darkened figure sat against the moonless sky and hissed lowly at them. 

“Son Goku is it?” the Boss rumbled as he clicked his mandibles thoughtfully. “You are quite the surprising creature.”

ChiChi came to her side then, his body flushed and coated in sweat as he grasped Goku’s hand, lacing their fingers together in a firm yet trembling hold. “Don’t worry, Goku-sa’,” ChiChi panted urgently. “I’m right here beside ya.”

Goku smiled and offered his hand a quick squeeze before detangling their fingers and stepping away. She crossed her arms expectantly over her chest as she stared up at the Boss still lurking above them. “So are you gonna come down an’ fight me yourself or d’ya want me to come up there?” she asked smugly. 

A sea of deep hisses erupted around them as the other Spiders twisted in displeasure. Yet the Boss only continued to glower and click his mandibles. “You fight quite well for a thief,” he hummed. “Perhaps there is more to you than I had expected.”

“I don’t quite care what you expected,” Goku shot back as a pointed tightness began to grow in the pit of her stomach. She could feel her muscles constricting and knew right away that it was another contraction. Clearly her time was running out. “You came to my home an’ attacked my friends. If you want an apology, then you can forget it, but if you want revenge then it’s _me_ you’re after.”

“ _Goku_!” Kame Sennin cried out as he pushed his way over what was left of the bedroom door and over to the destroyed living room. “What did I tell you?”

“Gramps, I’m tryin’ ta find a solution to this,” Goku lamented as her skin began to feel uncomfortably flushed. Her hands shook with the need to cradle her stomach, but she only tightened her fists and fought off the urge. With one deep breath she continued to stare up at the monster above her. 

There was a charge of sorts in the air as the Boss shifted and hummed. After a moment he lowered himself down to the ground. He was impossibly tall, his head still peeking out of the hole his minions had created and just one of his arms was nearly the size of Goku’s body, yet Goku knew from experience that size didn’t always dictate power and was unphazed. “Very well,” he rumbled. “We’ll do things your way. If you can best me, then you can have your peace.”

“Goku you can’t!” Kuririn shrieked from somewhere just out of sight.

“Goku-sa’ think of the baby!” ChiChi pleaded.

Yet in that moment the baby seemed to give one final kick just as the pain that had been clamping down on Goku’s midsection subsided. She had a feeling it was his way of offering his approval. She smiled and crouched down to the ground in order to stretch out her legs.

“I think we have a deal,” she grinned, “but let’s take this somewhere else. An’ give me your word your men won’t hurt my friends.”

The Boss hummed with momentary thought. “I shall give you the latter,” he rumbled before his massive claw came swinging in Goku’s direction. 

She managed to dodge the attack, but just barely. Distantly she reregistered the others scattering away as she flipped over onto her feet and went soaring through the air in order to deliver a punch to the Boss’s four eyed face. He hissed in pain as her knuckles collided with his leathery skin before responding by spitting webbing out at her legs. 

Goku groaned in disgust as the sticky ropes coiled around her leg, creating a tight weight of sorts. Yet she shook the unpleasant sensation off, feeling fortunate that her limbs had not been bound together, as she delivered several strikes to the Boss’s massive chest with her fists. He stumbled backwards, his head crashing into the remains of the ceiling and causing him to buckle under his own weight. 

For a moment Goku thought the fight was over already, but instead of admitting defeat the Boss raised his large claw like hands and began to swat at Goku as if she were a mere bug. He was large and slow and Goku was easily able to jump out of his path despite the fact that with every thump of his fist the ground began to buckle beneath him. 

Flying upward once more Goku did her best to grab the Boss by his midsection and carry him upward into the air. He was heavier than Goku had expected and her arms and back actually strained with the effort, but still she gritted her teeth together and managed to toss him a good few feet, landing firmly against the base of a nearby tree. 

The wood cracked and splintered upon impact, sending the base backwards and crashing into a few other trees. Goku cringed at the sight and silently hoped that there were no birds or monkeys nesting in those branches.

With a final huff of breath she lowered herself back down to the ground. Her arms were trembling and her legs felt unsteady as her heart continued to pound against her ribs. Goku silently prayed that it was over, but when the Boss groaned and lifted his lumbering form to his feet, Goku felt her jaw tighten with frustration.

The Boss stood, looming over her looking battered and weary, his many eyes glowing with something dark as Goku crouched back down in anticipation of the next blow. 

Yet it never came. Instead the Boss let out a deep booming rumble that she recognized distantly as a laugh. “I consent my defeat,” the Boss said at last. “I see now that there is no shame at being bested by a creature as remarkable as you.”

Goku laughed, weak and unsteady as she stood up straight. Her hands and arms still shook, but she played it off by rubbing at her shoulders as if she were working out a kink. “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” she said at last. “I’m sure sorry that we thrashed your boy. Next time we’ll be much more polite.” 

Another rumbling laugh came in response as the Boss waved his clawed hand in the air and signaled for his men to disperse. The Spiders all marched off at their leader’s command, disappearing wordlessly into the darkened woods and leaving the devastated house behind without a second glance.

“Goku-sa’!” ChiChi cried out as he rushed to her side. He swept her clear off her feet with glee, twirling her in the air for emphasis before setting her back down on the ground. “Ya did it! Ya really did it!”

“Son-kun that was amazing!” Bulma gushed as she came running up to her side.

“You really are too much,” Yamucha laughed.

Goku wheezed as she rested her weight against ChiChi’s sturdy form. “Thanks guys,” she breathed. “Now please bring me inside. I think I’m ‘bout ready to have this baby.”

*

With the Capsule house in ruins, they had no choice but to bring Goku back to the cottage she shared with ChiChi. Goku was too far along for anyone to bother with talk of flying her here or there and Bulma was left with no other choice than to deliver the baby herself. 

Several grueling, fit full hours passed as Goku screamed and bucked against her bed, crying herself hoarse well into the night. Yamucha and Tenshinhan held her legs down with a great deal of effort as ChiChi whispered words of encouragement and wiped the sweat from her brow with a cool cloth. By dawn it was over, the baby emerging out into the world with a shrill, wet cry.

Her bandaged arms were still trembling with the aftershock of all that she had been through as she gazed upon the face of someone entirely new to the world. The baby was nothing like Goku had imagined. Bright pink skin covered it from head to toe as a toothless mouth continued to cry and wail fitfully. Thick black hair clung to its soft, mushy head as tiny hands and feet curled into itself. There was a tail, a long brown one, that swished and swayed just the way hers once had before finding a way to wrap itself around Goku’s forearm.

“You’re here,” Goku whispered hoarsely as she held the baby’s little fist gently between her thumb and forefinger. “You’re finally here.” She chuckled and pressed her lips to the tiny fingers the way she thought she should and was rewarded with a feeling of tender warmth that spread through her chest like a flame. “You’re so… tiny an’ amazin’. You’re nothin’ like me, but you’re so familiar.”

She could feel ChiChi’s arms wrap around her own body, his whole being unsteady as tears feel freely from his eyes. “Ya really did it, Goku-sa’,” he wept. “Ya made us a miracle.”

Goku smiled at that, but couldn’t find it in herself to tear her eyes away from the scrunched up little face that had captivated her attention. “Bulma, thank you,” Goku offered quietly as a wetness fell from her eyes and down her own cheeks. “Thank you for everythin’ you’ve done.”

“I didn’t do much, Son-kun,” Bulma chortled modestly. “Well, that’s a lie, I actually did a lot.”

Goku chuckled weakly as Yamucha handed her a blanket to wrap around the baby’s naked body. She offered him a quick “thanks,” before covering the small pink body, the cries slowly subsiding as Goku swaddled her child the way Bulma’s baby books had taught her. 

“Look at that little cutie,” Yamucha beamed as he glanced down at the face peeking out from between the folds of fabric. “Welcome to the world, kiddo.”

“Should we let the others in?” Tenshinhan asked, knowing already that everyone was likely eagerly waiting to see the new member of their group out in the living room.

“Ya can let ‘em in,” ChiChi said with a watery sigh as he scrubbed hurriedly at the tears still clinging to his cheeks. “I reckon they waited long enough for this.”

Tenshinhan nodded and disappeared from the bedroom, before re-entering less than a minute later with the others. They all gathered into the bedroom packing in close as could be around the bed as everyone craned their heads to take a look at the baby resting peacefully in Goku’s tired arms.

“Is that the baby?” Chaozu asked, his eyes wide with wonder as he hovered close to Goku’s shoulder.

“Yup, this is my baby,” Goku announced proudly.

“My my, what a handsome little fellow,” Kame Sennin grinned as he inspected the baby’s pink face.

“Actually,” ChiChi began with a sheepish chuckle, “it’s a girl.”

Stunned silence filled the cramped room at the declaration and Goku could only grin as she rubbed her lips against the baby’s soft forehead. 

“Yamucha-sama, you were right after all!” Pu’ar said brightly.

Yamucha laughed and stood a bit straighter. “Well, it was a fifty-fifty chance,” he said modestly only to be rewarded with a sharp kick to his shin from Bulma.

“Well, I guess there goes makin’ her a scholar,” Lunch laughed smugly only for ChiChi to pointedly clear his throat.

“Actually,” he began, but Goku was quick to interrupt him.

“She’s gonna be exactly whatever she wants to be,” she declared. 

By her side she could feel the way ChiChi’s chest tightened as he turned the thought over in his mind. They were both too tired to argue and Goku reasoned that was why he only sighed and kissed her cheek. “Yeah,” ChiChi relented. “It’s too early for us ta make those sorta plans for her. An’ Goku-sa’ … I was wrong. Ya really do know what yar doin’ sometimes. If ya don’t wanna stay with the baby all the time, that’s fine. Whatever makes ya happy makes me happy, too.”

Goku grinned and tore her eyes away from her daughter’s beautiful face. She breathed a small sigh and kissed ChiChi’s chin. “Thank you, ChiChi,” she said. “I ain’t ‘bout to go nowhere for a while, but I’m glad to know that when the time is right I can get back out there.”

“So does the baby have a name?” Chaozu asked, drawing their conversation back to the center of attention.

Goku hummed and shifted the infant in her arms as ChiChi stiffened in embarrassment. The topic of names had slipped away from them in the last few days and in that moment Goku realized they had never settled on one.

Something hard and cold pressed against her elbow then and when she turned to look she found her eyes resting on Si Xing Qiu. She smiled at the Dragon Ball resting in Kuririn’s out stretched hand. There was an uncertain smile pulling at his features as Goku accepted the offering into her hands. “I, uh, I thought you might want this, ya know, given that it was meant for the baby,” he stammered.

“Kuririn,” Goku said warmly and in that moment she instantly knew. “Thank you. It’s perfect for her. Gohan. That’s her name.”

“Goku-sa’,” ChiChi began gently. “That’s a _boy_ name. We had a girl, remember?”

“I know, ChiChi,” Goku told him, “but it’s the best name. See? She likes it already.” Sure enough the corners of the baby's little pink lips began to twitch and curl into the makings of a smile at the sound of the name. "Gohan," she said again, enjoying the way the familiar name rolled off her tongue and how the baby sniffed and curled against her in response. Goku smiled and placed a kiss to the baby's tender forehead. "Welcome to the world Son Gohan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning: the next chapter will only be a short epilogue.


	12. Epilogue

It was clear sailing all the way to West City, although they wouldn't be there for at least another five hours. Two weeks after the baby's birth, Bulma and the others had decided it was high time to give Goku and ChiChi their space, their decision cemented when ChiChi had announced his father's impending arrival. With the capsule house gone and Gyumao due to arrive within the next few days, it seemed beyond ridiculous to stay in Mount Paozu for another moment. 

Yet it had been surprisingly difficult to say good bye. Loathe as she was to admit it, Bulma had actually gotten comfortable living out in the country these past few months. Waking up to fresh mountain air and the peaceful silence of the country had been intoxicatingly serene. She supposed that there was something about the simplicity that reminded her of the early days of her very first Dragon Ball hunt when she had stumbled across Mount Paozu for the very first time and formed a friendship with a monkey tailed girl. The thought was a pleasantly nostalgic one, but it didn't stop her from missing her parents and her inventions. So when the time came she took less than an hour to pack her bags and kiss her dear friend goodbye.

"You take care of that baby, Son-kun," Bulma had said as she squeezed Goku tightly in her arms, mindful of the babe that was nestled against Goku’s muscular arms. "And don't you go forgetting about me again. I swear I better hear from you at least once a month or I'll come right back and give you an earful!"

"I'll sure try my best," Goku had laughed once their embrace had ended, shifting the infant carefully in her arms. Bulma wasn't quite sure how she had done it, but somehow Goku had managed to regain her figure and stamina in a matter of days after pushing the baby out into the world, her body already looking a bit more slender and shapely than it had just weeks ago despite never once leaving ChiChi's watchful eye. "But I don't know how much time I'll have since I'll be spendin' plenty of it with this here lil cutie."

The baby responded to the comment by gurgling and blowing little bubbles of spit with her pink lips. Bulma chuckled and took the opportunity to lean in and plant a quick kiss to the infant's button like nose. "Be good to your 'ma' now," Bulma told her with mock sternness as she gently wiped away the lipstick staining the baby's face. 

"Don't be forgettin' about your old master now," Kame Sennin had nearly cackled as he maneuvered himself between the two women. He inspected the infant with a fond smile before pressing a withered hand to her red cheek and offering a gentle pat. "What a fine little thing, just brimming with potential," he beamed, his eyes no doubt shining behind the deep lenses of his sunglasses. "Goku, your grandfather would be proud to have this little one bare his name."

"Thanks, Gramps," Goku said sincerely as she gazed down at her baby, love and pride shining in her dark eyes. "That means a lot to me."

"I'll be expecting great things from both of you in the future," the old man told her as he pulled his star pupil into a swift and unexpected hug. Goku went into his arms stiffly at first, but soon managed to chuckle good naturedly and return the gesture with one arm. Bulma had eyeballed the old man carefully, waiting for the inevitable moment when his hand would slide down to Goku's backside or for his face to slip between her cleavage for a “pafu pafu,” yet the opportunity came and went and Bulma was relieved to find Kame Sennin was actually behaving himself. 

"Goku, don't go forgetting about me either," Yamucha joked lightly as he took the opportunity to draw Goku's attention his way. "I expect to see plenty of pictures of this little one in the coming years."

"You'll hafta talk to ChiChi 'bout that," Goku laughed. "I still can't make heads or tails of a camera."

"Son," Tenshinhan put in firmly, crossing his arms over his broad chest in order to cover his own discomfort, "I hope that you won't let your training go by the wayside. Mother or not, I still expect to have a thrilling fight when we next meet in the ring."

"Give me a couple months ta get back on my feet," Goku promised, the hardened look that only came when fighting was mentioned settling on her features. "An' remember what I said: you're all free to stop by whenever you like."

"Within reason," ChiChi put in suddenly, forced cheer clear in his voice. 

The others chuckled, but Goku remained pointedly silent as her eyes began to wander. Bulma followed her friend's gaze over to Kuririn who had been standing away from the rest of the group and seemed to be pointedly keeping to himself. A touch of annoyance had bubbled up inside of Bulma at the sight and in that moment she had half a mind to give Kuririn an earful for sulking while they were supposed to be saying their goodbyes, but her plans had never been allowed to take shape as Goku pulled away from the others in order to approach Kuririn herself.

"Thanks for comin' all this way," Goku said, her words drawing Kuririn out of his little bubble of self-pity and causing a blush to spread quickly across his features. "It really meant a lot."

By that point Kuririn's face had become so red that his blush had actually spread to his ears and Bulma suspected that he knew everyone's attention had shifted his way. "Well... uh, it was nothing," he said sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I didn’t do much after all.”

“Well, maybe that’s true,” Goku said, ever the blunt tactless hillbilly. “But it was still fun havin’ you around. Me an' the baby’ll sure miss you.”

As if to prove her point, Goku leaned in close and titled her arms lower in order to give Kuririn a better view of the baby’s little pink face. Kuririn’s eyes widened as he locked his gaze on the little bundle and Bulma had only realized in that moment that in the past few days since her birth Kuririn hadn’t seen the baby up close, always leaving whatever room the newborn was in and shying away from suggestions to hold the infant in his arms. Suddenly the two were face to face and Kuririn could likely see all the ways the baby resembled her mother.

“Don’t worry, Gohan-chan,” Goku told the baby soothingly, “Kuririn is gonna stop by an’ come see us again real soon. He’s your new best friend an’ all. Right, Kuririn?”

Kuririn looked to the baby’s peaceful face, her little eyes scrunched up as her nose seemed to twitch every now and again, and then back to Goku who was smiling down at him, her usual broad grin seeming to encourage him. “R-right,” Kuririn said, before he cleared his throat and stood a bit straighter. “That’s right!” He flashed the baby a genuine smile as he stood a bit straighter. “Don’t worry; you’re going to be seein’ a lot of me, kiddo. That’s a promise.”

They all watched in quiet wonder as Gohan’s little lips twitched into the makings of a smile, the gesture pleasing both Goku, who rewarded her daughter with a quick kiss to her forehead, and Kuririn, who grew bold enough to reach out and grasp the infant's little hand between his thumb and forefinger. Gohan’s sleepy fingers wrapped themselves around Kuririn’s index finger, a gesture that resulted in Kuririn commenting on her strong grip before finally saying his farewells to Goku.

They parted ways there, Bulma stepping behind the controls of her jet in preparation to take herself, Yamucha, Pu’ar, and Oolong back to West City as Kame Sennin and the others made their own preparation to head back to Kame House. Bulma had only barely managed to catch one final glimpse of Goku and ChiChi standing side by side, little Gohan nestled between them and sleeping peacefully, the two of them smiling and waving until they were just a speck on the horizon.

 

Bulma yawned and rubbed at her eyes as the memories from just earlier that day began to fade back into the present. The others had all fallen into a comfortable silence before drifting off to sleep, leaving Bulma alone with only the radio’s chatter and the endless blue sky to keep her company.

She sighed and switched through the radio stations, pressing buttons more for something to do than an actual desire to hear anything different. She had mostly come across nothing but static before she finally settled on a frequency that was receiving music from a country western station. With a simple shrug to herself she twisted the nob gently, the volume rising ever so slightly.

The slight change in the cabin must have been enough to draw Yamucha’s attention as he shifted in his seat, blinking his eyes several times before sitting upright. “Ya know,” Yamucha drawled lazily, “I just realized something: you never talked to ChiChi about the tail did you?”

Bulma bristled at the comment, her skin feeling flushed and tight as her hand clenched down on the jet’s controls. “W-whuh?” she asked, doing her best to feign an air of nonchalance. “What d’ya mean?”

From the corner of her eye Bulma could see that Yamucha was now fully alert. She could feel his gaze boring into her as he sat upright in his chair, arms crossed firmly over his chest and mouth twisted into a disappointed frown as he waited expectantly for her response. "Bulma," he began tersely and somehow that was enough to cause her resolve to crumble, ever so slightly.

“Well… I guess I just kinda… sorta… maybe forgot,” she offered haltingly as her skin continued to tingle with embarrassment. 

“Bulma!” Yamucha cried out, yet instantly regretted his outburst when he remembered that Pu’ar and Oolong were still sleeping in the back of the plane. A quick blush flashed across his tanned features as he shook his head and started again. “How could you not remember? This is a big deal. If that baby sees a full moon…”

“It’s a _baby_ , Yamucha!” Bulma huffed wearily. “They don’t exactly stay up late. Besides, Goku and ChiChi live out in the sticks. No one’s gonna get hurt.”

Yamucha stayed silent, but the look of disappointment didn’t falter as he gave his head a tired shake. “I just hope you’re right,” he sighed.

“Of course I’m right,” Bulma said reasonably, willing herself to feel as confident as she was trying to sound. “I’m _always_ right. Besides, did you see how happy they were? How could I possibly ruin that?”

Yamucha failed to look convinced, yet his posture seemed to lose a touch of its tension as he settled back into the cushions of his chair. “I guess,” he muttered. “I mean, if anything happens, we’ll be there.”

Bulma smiled and allowed her posture to relax as she settled back against her chair and adjust her grip on the controls. Music soon began to fill the cabin, the conversation having come to an end as Yamucha’s gaze drifted towards the clouds hanging in the clear blue sky beyond the glass. The future was positioned firmly ahead of them and filled with endless possibilities.


End file.
